Earth And Stone
by surreptitiouspen
Summary: Seven long years have passed since San and Ashitaka said goodbye, and they haven't seen one another since. Their longing and disapointment cannot offset their new responsablilities. How can a love survive if it is not nourished?
1. Indefinitely Delayed

Authoress here.

I just watched Princess Mononoke last night, and, it being one of my ALL-TIME favorite shows, I was all "HEY! There's a total cliffhanger at the end! I should read some fanfiction about it!" But, I couldn't find anything good about it. I did find a story about San being a high school teenager while Ashitaka was a famous singer (close, but no cigar ) and what I really wanted was some closure. However, I have minor ADD when it comes to shifting through tons of stories, so I decided to write my own version rather than shift through lots of random ones.

I own not the characters from Princess Mononoke, nor do I own the plot. I do own any extra, original characters, and the plot of this particular ficclet. Please no takey.

Enjoy!

Earth And Stone  
**Chapter One: Indefinitely Delayed **

**

* * *

**

Green sunlight filtered through the leafy boughs, coating the thick loam of the forest floors with dapples of light. Small animals chattered to one another, and occasionally the low humming of their voices were drowned out by birdsong. The trees, the slender monarchs of the new forest, bent gently to and fro in the light wind coming down from the mountain.

The sound of muted footsteps came through amid the natural noises of the forest. A young woman picked her way easily among the dead boughs lying on the ground. Her moccasin-clad feet found sure footholds as she climbed over the trunk of a much older tree that had fallen before the growth of the newer trees surrounding it. The ancient, dead giant was covered with new lichen and moss, and a family of beetles trundled about its rotting wood, searching for food.

The woman carefully dropped to the ground, her crude-looking spear in one hand and a brace of dead rabbits in the other. She wore a simple shift, cut loose and short, both for comfort against the heavy heat of the forest and for ease of movement. Her hair danced loosely about her shoulders, the ends straight, as if shorn off all at once by some sharp blade. Painted on her face were two long triangles of red beneath each eye. A circlet made of vine and one small, circular stone held the hair from her face, and a slender, shining dagger hung from a red cord about her neck. This was San, princess of the forest, redeemer of her unwanted human race, and now the leader of the Moru clan of wolves.

She walked quickly through the new forest, inwardly marveling at the height and breadth of some of the trees she passed. Just seven years ago the entire mountainside had been reduced to a grassy meadow, and saplings had been planted all over in hopes of rebuilding the forest in the next twenty to thirty years. However, these young trees had matured far beyond the normal rate of growth. San assumed that not all of the magic of the gods had departed from the world after the Forest Spirit's death; these trees were living proof.

That was not saying, however, that the forest had just re-grown itself. San and her brothers had worked tirelessly, nurturing the saplings, encouraging the creatures that had fled the Forest Spirit's wrath to move back to their forest home, and keeping an eye on the distant Iron Town, which had slowly risen past its former greatness.

San felt a small pang in her chest at the thought of the walled city. She was used to it, and concentrated the feeling away. Even though the new forest was flourishing, there was still much to do. San couldn't afford to waste time on him… he obviously couldn't afford to waste time on her.

"San!" A voice called her name, a low, friendly growl just beneath it. She turned to see one of her white-coated brothers, Yama-inu, padding towards her. She touched her small, human nose to his damp wolf one in greeting, and then set her kills in front of him, falling into a squat.

"Good morning, brother." San absently played with one of the velveteen rabbit ears. "Anything new in the north?"

The great wolf sank to his haunches. "Nothing. The saplings are tall, and the creatures plentiful. The humans have not touched as much as a leaf."

San nodded. "Good. Usi-kai returned home yesterday from the south of our forest and had the same to say."

Yama-inu stood, stretching luxuriously as he did. "Then let us go home, little sister, and eat. It was hard not to kill and feed during my journey."

San stood as well, gathering up her rabbits. The Wolf clan, being direct descendants of a god, had taken it upon themselves to nurture the forest back to a shade of its previous glory. While that meant taking care of the trees, it also implied taking care of the population of the animals killed in the great tragedy. San and her brothers killed only what they needed to eat to stay alive, and only those animals whose numbers had been replenished. The bigger game, deer and badgers, fox and raccoons, had all fled and only lately had they returned to the forest. So, the wolves lived off of rabbits and squirrels.

"Get on my back," the wolf instructed. "I do not wish to over-exert you, my little sister."

San complied with a suppressed sigh. What her wolf brother truly meant was that he wanted to get home fast, and her feeble human legs would not be able to match his pace.

"Brother," San spoke softly into the wolf's large ear as he sprang over fallen trees and lichen-covered boulders. "Did you catch the scent of the red elk in your travels?"

She could have sworn that he slowed a tiny bit as she asked her question, as if in pity. "No, my little sister. I assume by your asking, he has not returned to the forest?"

"No."

* * *

"Heave!"

Ashitaka threw his weight against the thick rope, grunting with exertion. The young man was considerably taller and broader in the chest, and the hard work of the last seven years showed in his frame. His face ruddy from his efforts, sweat beaded on his brow, falling down his face and catching on the raised, white scar on his cheek.

"Keep it steady, boys, keep it steady! Aaaand… release!"

Ashitaka let the rope run through his hands, wincing as the rough twisted material scraped uncomfortably against his worn-down calluses.

"Good work, men!" The man who had been directing them from on top of the structure started down a ladder. "Break for lunch, back here in an hour."

Ashitaka didn't join in with the cheers of his fellow workers, but instead passed a brief sigh of relief. He followed the crowd of chattering men back out of the iron working district and into the market place that circled it. As he walked, his tired eyes took in the new community he had painstakingly helped rebuild in the last seven years.

When the town hall, the building they were working on currently, was finished, the town would officially be back to where it began. Of course, the new city was much better planned and constructed than the old one. Originally the town had started small, but as more people came it was awkwardly expanded, and then the two walls were erected around it. This design had the metal working buildings and storage area in the center, on the tallest and flattest section of the island. Next, the market place circled around the main iron facilities, and lastly the residential district and the docking bay at the lakeside. Only one fence surrounded this island, but it was much stronger and taller than its predecessors.

There were many other positive changes that Ashitaka had thought of and directed. A new fleet of fast, sleek boats had been constructed for fishing and defense, opening up another avenue of transport, food and commerce. There was a large patch of the mountain that they had cultivated into a sprawling garden, so that the Iron Town citizens wouldn't be totally dependant on the rice shipments. This had been allowed by the apes that populated the new forest close to the water, seeing as things still grew and animals were not completely driven out.

Yes, many new, good things had been created, all by the sweat and determination of the hardy people of Iron Town. Word had spread of their labors, and families and other nomads had come to help rebuild the city and therefore stake a place to live and to work.

Ashitaka's feet had carried him to the workers' mess, a place where the men and women involved in the construction could eat for free. With the arrival of so many outsiders bringing their businesses, trade had flourished and Iron Town was even more self-supporting.

"Lord Ashitaka! Come and sit with us!"

"No, Lord Ashitaka! Those barbaric men must bore you t'tears enough while you work with 'em. Sit with us!"

"You women keep quiet over there!"

"Make us, dung-for-brains!"

Ashitaka smiled a little before choosing a seat by his old friends Toki and her husband, Kouroku. The two greeted him enthusiastically, Toki bearing the signs of her quickly developing pregnancy. She had been relieved of her work on the bellows and had started a much kinder job as a cook in the marketplace.

"You look tired, M'Lord." Toki grinned mischievously as she handed him a bowl of soup and a pair of clean chopsticks. Ashitaka thanked her with a nod, all the while giving her a despairing look.

"Why do you insist on calling me that? You're all my friends here; I am no lord."

Kouroku sniggered into his own bowl. "Well, we partly do it because we know it bothers you. And, you're as much as a lord as Lady Eboshi is a lady. We all know you've given as much to this place as she has."

Ashitaka gave another sigh. "I still don't like the title."

"Too bad." Toki grinned at him again, standing to fetch a second helping for her husband. "You want more?"

"No thank you. I think I'll visit Yakul." He drained the remainder of his soup and passed his bowl into Toki's awaiting hands.

"You going to leave today?" Kouroku and Toki were suddenly watching his face intently.

"Probably not. I haven't been able to in seven years; why should I now?" Ashitaka didn't wait for a response before nodding goodbye and making for the stables.

It was another idea of his that Iron Town should have more horses, so messengers would be able to send and receive messages faster in the town and outside of it. Yakul, his faithful red-elk friend, stood dozing in his large stall, his lack left leg cocked. He had never really recovered from the arrow–inflicted injury and walked with a slight limp. Ashitaka had finally made the decision to retire him a few years ago and to start riding a horse, but he still made a daily habit of visiting his faithful old friend.

"Yakul."

The elk awoke instantly, and moved to the front of his stall to lip at his master's hand. Ashitaka provided a small chunk of bread for him, and stroked his long nose as Yakul nibbled on the treat.

"What I wouldn't give for us to go riding in the forest together, my friend." Ashitaka sighed. The elk pressed his nose into Ashitaka's shoulder in sympathy. "She's probably forgotten us, don't you think?"

The elk gave a low snort, as if in disbelief.

"Well, then she's furious at our absence."

The elk noisily blew out a stream of air, saying _you're probably right about that._ He then raised his antlered head, and looked out to the exit of the stable.

"I wish we could, my friend." Ashitaka murmured sadly. "It's a constant ache, missing her, but I wouldn't get more than two steps before someone needed me here."

The elk's liquid brown eyes were soft, and he gently lipped the young man's tunic. Ashitaka smiled, and was fishing in his pocket for another chunk of the bread when a young girl came running into the stable.

"Lord Ashitaka! There's a fight at the docking yard, and Lady Eboshi is ill again and cannot come!" Her face was dirty, and she brought the strong aroma of fish with her as she darted to his side.

"Miasha, who is fighting?" Ashitaka gave Yakul's nose a farewell pat and then went to the next stall over where his bay stallion Hiasu was stabled.

The small girl tagged after him. "The fisherman of Iocatse and our men. The fish merchant Jiru has been accused of wrongly weighing our catches again to cheat us, and my farther confronted him. Jiru's thugs set in on Papa, and then my brothers joined in as well."

"I shall sort it out." Ashitaka slipped Yakul's red bridle over Hiasu's nose, and over his small, pointed black ears. He vaulted on the tall stallion's back, and leaned down to pick Miasha up as well. Setting her in front, he spoke softly to Hiasu and the stallion thundered out of the barn.

The brawl had attracted a ring of onlookers, mostly Iron Towners, who shouted insults at the fish merchant and his men. The two sides looked pretty evenly matched, and Ashitaka could see that already teeth had been knocked out and that eyes had been blacked. As Hiasu walked foreword, the circle of onlookers fell silent in respect to the man they called Lord.

Jiru was a rat-faced man who had, on several occasions, been accused of rigging his scales to cheat the fisherman of Iron Town. He and his crew came from the closest human settlement by waterway, and their trade was imperative. The fish merchant before Jiru had been a fair man, and the money Iron Town recieved from the fish sales was enough to tide them over for food until the iron-working got underway again. There was still much to do in obtaining the ore, which now required to be shipped from other places. Ashitaka had warned Lady Eboshi early on about trying to tear down the new growth of the forest to get iron ore, so she arranged for sand to be shipped down to Iron Town by the boatload.

"Please stop your fighting." Ashitaka handed Miasha down to one of her younger brothers who had been restrained from the fight, and then slipped off of Hiasu himself.

The men from Iron Town obeyed instantly, but the fish merchant's men got a few more punches in before they stopped. Ashitaka walked up to them, and turned to Miasha's father, Tatchi. "Please explain what happened here."

"We weighed our catch before Jiru's mob got here, and when he weighed it, the fish were twenty weights less! We kept a weather eye on 'em, too, so we knew no stray dog ate some, and not nobody moved as much as a single fin! I told Jiru, and he started t'brawl." Tatchi swelled with indignation, new bruises coloring on his skin.

"May I see your scales?" Ashitaka asked Jiru quietly. "I apologize for their behavior, but in case their anger was justified…"

"What's it gonna prove?" One of Jiru's men said aggressively. "That the Iron Towners are cheats and liars?"

Ashitaka held his arm out to stop Tatchi from striking the speaker. "That is enough. If your scales are correct you have nothing to fear, and the fisherman shall accept your money without further trouble and with an apology."

Jiru's eyes were narrowed, but his men let Ashitaka step foreword to examine the scales. Sure enough, someone had made the second scale dish out of a piece of stone covered with wood. The weighing process was that the fish were loaded onto the first weigh dish, and then the merchant would place coins into the second dish until the two dishes were even. With the second being heavier, fewer coins were needed to have the two dishes balance.

"It appears there is a cheat among your men, Jiru-san." Ashitaka unhooked the heavy dish and tossed it underhand to the merchant, who dropped it. The plate landed heavily on the deck boards, causing an angry exclamation to run through the crowd. "I'm sure it is not your honesty that has been compromised, nor maybe any of the men here. Perhaps a workman in your town made a mistake. However, I believe that you should have checked your scales before you began to strike my men."

Jiru had been trapped by Ashitaka's indirect accusation, and was not able to argue. His men switched out the dishes, and the fish were reweighed. Knowing that the gesture was almost required, Jiru reluctantly handed over an entire fistful of extra coins to make up for the trouble.

"Thank you, Lord Ashitaka!" One of the fisherman cried out gratefully as Ashitaka swung up on Hiasu. The cry was repeated by the rest of the fisherman, and it followed him as he rode back up into the iron district of the city. He sighed, gazing longingly at the green mountain rising behind the city. Sure enough, he was needed back at the construction of the town hall. There was no time… yet again.

**End Chapter**

**

* * *

Authoress here.**

I so do hope you've enjoyed this first chapter. This was purely an introductory chapter, as I'm sure you've guessed, and now that you know all about the things that have happened since the end of the movie and this chapter, I shall continue on with my story.

Updates on this, I can tell you now, will be sporadic and sometimes far in between. It's my last year of high school, and I am spread rather thin. But, I shall try my hardest!

Please leave me feedback. I love suggestions and ideas!

**Cheers,  
**_Pen_


	2. Whispers of Wreckage

Authoress here.

As you can tell, I wasn't lying when I said that updates would be few and widely spaced. Thank you for bearing with me. Technically, I should be catching up on Statistics and Composition… but hey, I like to procrastinate. And who needs Statistics anyway?

**Earth And Stone  
Chapter Two: Whispers of Wreckage**

**

* * *

**

The rumors of a disturbance had traveled quickly through the bird folk. A panicked smell hung in the air, frightening other creatures and causing the dark places of the forest to become more threatening.

San hoisted herself easily into the lower branches of a tall, strong tree, blessing her ability to scale the earthy giants unlike the rest of her wolf kin. She too had noticed the unrest, and was now climbing to visit the court of the Sky Tribe.

As she went, small birds twittered around her, their bright, beady eyes studying her as she labored, chirping quietly and rustling their small feathers. The farther she went, the larger the bids, until she was surrounded by hook-beaked hawks and fierce-eyed eagles. These winged lords sat in silence, regally, among the chattering of their smaller cousins. As San's head finally broke through the ceiling of leaves, each bird fell silent.

"Greetings, Earth-Mistress." The oldest hawk, silver-feathered and doubled over with rheumatism, peered groggily at her as she bowed her head in response. Though his eyes were clouded with age, an intense wisdom echoed in their depths. All of the birds around him regarded him with reverence. There were several treetops filled with fowl; all different sorts of birds from all corners of the forest. San nodded to them as well before speaking to the Sky Lord.

"A few days ago, sparrows from the West alerted me to trouble, Sky Lord." San settled herself more firmly on her perch.

"Indeed, Earth-Mistress. There have been many kills made by a wolf-dog; a half-breed."

"That is not unnatural, Sky Lord." San said, frowning. "Wolf-dogs do behave as such."

"If that were all, Earth-Mistress, I would not have asked you here." The ancient hawk ruffled his neck feathers, puffing himself up in annoyance. "I am no mere eggchick."

San bowed her head again in a silent apology. The bird continued. "The wolf-dog kills and does not eat. He savages the dead and scatters their flesh, but no scrap passes his jaws. His eyes burn with a sickness and his body smells of decay. We believe that the gods have sent another demon into our midst."

San gripped the handle of her knife. "Not another demon! I have heard rumors from the returning fox clans that there is another such creature, in badger form, in the Northwest."

There were quiet croaks of agreement from a group of younger rooks perched in a neighboring tree. One of them nodded his beak, confirming her story. "The earth-walker speaks the truth. Even we daren't feed off of the flesh killed by this demon; it reeks of death."

The ancient hawk fixed San in his clouded stare. "Earth-Mistress, we the Sky Tribe have long since recognized you as the Midwife of the Forest. You are the savior of these woods which are so dear to all life, and we know of your efforts to coax our lands back to life." Pausing, the hawk cocked his head and flapped his wings once. "We give you the task of killing this wolf-dog demon. We pledge our allegiance to you with the undertaking of this mirthless work."

One of the other hawks hopped forwards. "We shall lead you to this wolf-dog, Midwife."

San nodded, eyes going steely. "I must first alert my brothers, and then I'll kill this demon."

She descended quickly from the tree, her eagle guides circling after her. She paced forwards and threw back her head in a long howl. The mournful cry echoed alone among the trees until it was joined by two more voices, returning the haunting song.

The eagles landed heavily on a nearby long, their yellow eyes flashing. "Midwife, are you ready?"

San nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

Rapping his knuckles to the doorframe, Ashitaka waited to enter until the woman on the bed before him turned to look at him.

"Lord Ashitaka. Why am I not surprised to see you."

"My Lady Eboshi." Ashitaka knelt briefly in respect for the sickly woman before going to sit by her bed. "You were unwell again today?"

The stunning leader had not lost all of her fire, but her strength would never be the same. Her advancing age showed wisps of gray in her dark hair, and frown lines had been forever etched between her eyebrows. She lay on her bed in her private chambers, a large fire keeping the room warm in the fireplace. Eboshi's frame had been covered by a large, decorative mantle, artfully embroidered. In contrast with the color and warmth in the room, her face looked dreadfully pale.

"Unwell because I've been stuck in this room. Doing nothing for my foundlings and my town except rotting alive."

"My lady, your guidance has been a pillar on which this town has been rebuilt." Ashitaka said gently. He stood, and poured some of the rich spiced wine from a silver pitcher into a cup on her bedside table. "You deserve now to rest and to heal a little before you go out to deal with the cares of the city."

Eboshi took the cup without complaint, and downed the contents in one mouthful. "Ahh, that warms one from the inside." She set the cup down, keen eyes on Ashitaka's face. "Such a weary look on such a handsome man. Tell me, Ashitaka, why are you so tired?"

"My lady, you used to run this city single-handedly." Ashitaka made motions to refill her cup, which she waved away. "You know why I'm tired. Why anyone would be tired."

Eboshi raised her hand to cup Ashitaka's sun-browned cheek, her thumb tracing the scar that still lingered there. "Ah, Ashitaka, you know as well as I do that it is your guidance that has been the pillar upon Iron Town had been rebuilt. I still don't understand why you took such pains to help us all these years."

"I couldn't abandon these people." Ashitaka said simply.

Eboshi let her hand fall, as if too tired to hold it up. Her piercing eyes were still trained on his face. "But you could abandon others."

Ashitaka didn't respond for a long while, staring into the flames with over-bright eyes. Finally, he sighed.

"I… know that she will understand."

Eboshi snorted. "That wretch hardly understands herself. What makes you so sure that she hasn't decided to kill you the moment you go out and try find her again?"

Ashitaka didn't answer. "Lady Eboshi, do you believe that you will get well again?"

Eboshi propped herself up on her remaining elbow, causing her mantle to fall off of her shoulders. The thick kimono she wore was tied about mid-upper arm on her left side, protecting the short stump she had left. She stared at it for a few moments before answering.

"I have to believe that I will get well again. Otherwise, I have no reason to keep waking in the morning."

Ashitaka gave the broken woman a small, sad smile. He rose to his feet, set the pitcher of spiced wine close to where she could reach it, and helped her lower herself back down onto her pillows. Gently drawing the mantle up to her chin again, Ashitaka spoke in a low voice.

"That is also why I believe she understands."

Eboshi watched as Ashitaka bowed himself out of her chambers. With a sigh, she poured herself more spiced wine. "Ashitaka, you are too good for some craven wolf-child." Eboshi muttered to herself, before toasting her cup in the direction that he had left.

Ashitaka's feet seemed much heavier than normal as he trudged towards the stables. His eyelids couldn't seem to stay propped open for much longer, and every muscle in his body begged for sleep. He forced himself to keep walking, feeling guilty that he hadn't visited Yakul since the dispute at the fish market a few days ago. Hiasu had also been confined to his stall since then as well, and both of the loyal animals deserved his attention.

A thin, wailing howl echoed up past the gates of Iron Town, issuing thinly from the heart of the forest. Ashitaka stopped dead, straining to hear the sound again. Townsfolk around him started to mutter worriedly as was their wont when the forest found its voice; old prejudices had died hard among the humans. Ashitaka ignored them, his heart leaping as two more voices answered the first.

_Please be waiting for me, my dearest heart._

**End Chapter**

* * *

**Authoress Pen here.**

Yerg, I shouldn't be writing this right now. I have SO MANY other things I should be doing right now… like learning, or homework. Oh well. Who needs an education these days? Ha. Ha.

ANYHOO, hoped you enjoyed the chapter (sorry about the wait, and again, can't really make many promises concerning the next update) and PLEASE let me know how I'm doing. These authors on this here site aren't lying when they say that reviews really do fuel the writing capabilities of an author(ress.)

**Cheers**,  
_Pen_


	3. Temptation

Authoress here.

So I know I've been gone for over a month, and I apologize. I really appreciate the kind comments you've all left for me. In fact, I appreciate them so much I'm not going to waffle on any longer.

**Earth and Stone  
Chapter Three: Temptation **

**

* * *

**

Ashitaka awoke with a gasp, flying up. He looked wildly around his room, gasping for breath, sweaty and disorientated. He couldn't remember his dream, but it must have been bad.

Moments later, someone knocked on his door. "Lord Ashitaka? Are you alright?"

With a sigh, Ashitaka swung his legs over the side of his bed and stood, pushing a hand through his hair. He crossed to the door and pulled it open to reveal a pretty young woman in night clothes, holding a candle and looking anxious.

"L-Lord Ashitaka," she stammered. He was suddenly aware of his own sleeping attire; the night had been too hot to wear anything more than loose leggings. He blushed a little, feeling rude to answer to door in such a state of undress.

"I'm sorry, Song. What is it?"

"I-I heard you moaning, my Lord. Moaning 'my arm, my arm' and you sounded like you were in pain."

Ashitaka realized what his dream must have been about. The old scars from his curse still wrapped around his right forearm in a constant reminder of the past. He had had nightmares about the curse's return before, and of the curse's spread to San's face and arms. He smiled reassuringly at Song. "Just a bad dream. I'm sorry to have woken you."

Ashitaka had been given a room in Lady Eboshi's dwelling, as he didn't have a home for himself. He accepted the small, unassuming room gratefully, refusing later offers to have a home built for him. The room provided everything he needed, and he was close to Eboshi if she ever needed him, or if the town leaders had a meeting. However, he shared the house with Eboshi's dedicated servants. Song was one of those servants, a young medic's assistant, who across the hall from Ashitaka.

"You didn't wake me," Song said, smiling. "I just returned from giving Lady Eboshi her medicine when I heard you." She looked down, her smile fading. "Is this where you were…?" She tentatively touched his arm where the scars marked his skin.

"Cursed?" Ashitaka brought his arm up for her inspection. "Yes."

Song couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from it. "It looks awful." She looked up at his face, and he couldn't help but notice how the candle light danced inside of her eyes. She wasn't a native of Iron Town; she came from the North, traveling with the old medic to whom she was apprenticed to. She was very beautiful; Lady Eboshi always tried to cough significantly when he and Song were in the same room together. Song always misinterpreted the hint as a real cough and would try to get Eboshi to take a drink of spiced wine.

"Well, I should let you go back to sleep." Song smiled at him again. "You work so hard; you probably need your full night's rest."

"Actually, now that I'm awake, I don't think I can fall back asleep." Ashitaka admitted. Years of waking with the crack of dawn had trained his body to stay awake once he was up. It was a habit that Ashitaka was sometimes grateful for; now was not one of those times. "Perhaps I'll go to see to Yakul and Hiasu. Hiasu hasn't gotten a chance to stretch his legs in awhile." He sighed. "No, that'd wake people up."

"I was going to make some tea," Song said shyly, a blush heating up her cheeks. "Would you like to join me?"

Ashitaka returned her smile. "Tea sounds wonderful."

His words made song blush even darker, and she hurried across the hall. Ashitaka quickly donned a tunic before following her.

"How has Lady Eboshi been doing?" Ashitaka sat in one of the two chairs Song had sitting at a low table.

Song looked at him, and he thought he caught a hint of disappointment when she saw his tunic. If the look was there, it was gone quickly. "To be honest, Maeduyo has been displeased with her recovery," Song admitted. She placed a teapot on the grate of the small burner that sat in the corner of her room. "Her… wound has healed nicely, under the circumstances."

"Circumstances?"

Song nodded, voice professional. "The jaws of the wolf damaged the vein system and crushed the end of the bone still attached. Maeduyo was worried that the veins would be hindered by the damaged bone, and would not heal properly. We had to saw a little bit more off of her bone to remove the sharp edges, and even then Maeduyo did not know if the veins would heal, or if blood would pool at the base of the stump."

Ashitaka took the offered cup of tea Song held out for him, and blew on the hot water. "But it healed."

Song nodded. "Yes. There was no infection, the vein system rerouted, and the stump closed with skin. Lady Eboshi should have been strong enough to fend off all of the other sicknesses she has been inflicted with, especially with the medicine we gave her. There's no reason why she is this susceptible to illness except-" Song cut off, eyes welling with tears.

"Except what?" Ashitaka prompted gently.

"She may not have the will to live, my Lord." Song said softly. Although she was newer to the town, she was impressed by Eboshi and loved her as much as the original townsfolk did.

"I wouldn't worry about Eboshi's will to live, Song. She's a strong woman." Ashitaka thought back to the look on Eboshi's face as she stared at her arm.

"I… I know. I just hate to see her this way." Song brightened. "At least we have you, Lord Ashitaka!"

Ashitaka wasn't sure how to respond to that statement, so instead he took another sip of his tea.

"You do look tired, my Lord."

Ashitaka smiled. "Thank you, Song, but you don't need to call me 'Lord.' In fact, I'd prefer it if you didn't."

Song blushed again. "Of course, my… Ashitaka." She smiled again, coyly, shyly. "If you needed some help to fall asleep again…"

Ashitaka smiled again, shaking his head. "I've tried Maeduyo's sleeping draughts before, and they've done nothing more than give me a headache, but thank you for the offer."

"Lo- Ashitaka, I…" Song trailed off uncomfortably. She was saved further embarrassment by the Lady Eboshi herself appearing in the doorway.

"Lord Ashitaka, may I have a moment?"

"Of course, my Lady." Ashitaka stood, and bowed slightly to Song. "Thank you for the tea and your concern, Song."

As he followed Eboshi out of Song's room and up the short staircase leading to her private room, Ashitaka let out a sigh. "Lady Eboshi, you shouldn't have gotten out of bed."

Eboshi shut the door firmly behind Ashitaka once he had passed before proceeding to her bed. "And you shouldn't lead young girls on, Ashitaka." There was a trace of amusement in Eboshi's voice as she pulled back the mantle on her bed and settled in. "Young Song forgot to shut my door when she was finished; I heard your conversation."

"I wasn't trying to give her any wrong ideas." Ashitaka said.

"Really. Did you catch that she was giving you an offer for a bed-warmer?"

Ashitaka sighed, pulling up his usual chair to sit by her bed. "I did. I also wanted to spare her some embarrassment by playing dumb."

"How kind of you." Eboshi said sarcastically. "Ashitaka, you're forgetting that you're in love with a wild thing. I'm sure your wolf –princess would agree with me when I say she wants to be no more than an animal."

Ashitaka opened his mouth, but Eboshi cut off whatever he wanted to say. "I'm worried about you, Ashitaka. I'm worried that you're going to waste your life chasing impossible happiness when you could find equal happiness in many of our own young, beautiful women. You're at an age where most young men are married and expecting a child. Don't you want that?"

"Yes." Ashitaka adjusted her coverlet a little more firmly than he intended, a closed look on his face.

Eboshi sighed. She understood that the young man had a firmer control on his emotions due to his experience with his curse, but sometimes she wished that he'd get angry, get passionate, and maybe get a little unsettled. His stalwart belief in his wolf-girl's image really did worry her.

"Are you happy?"

"No, my Lady, I am not. But there are bigger things than my happiness, and I know you understand that." With that, Ashitaka stood up and left.

* * *

San's eagle guides were perched high above her, sleeping in the tree she had her back to. It was on the edge of a small clearing, and the stars twinkled brightly above her. San looked for the pictures that her mother had taught her, eyes outlining the familiar shapes. The Hunter, the Bear, the Swan, and the Fox. _He_ would have liked to know each animal that danced in the heavens.

San's fingers fisted in the tall grass shooting from the base of her tree. Angrily she ripped them out and threw the blades towards the sky. Her mind had been turning more and more to her brave boy; to his stupid promise to come and visit her.

San remembered how each day after they parted she'd come to the ridge overlooking Iron Town and try to catch his scent, see his form astride his red elk, pick him out from the countless dots milling around the wreckage of the former town. He never came, and her visits to the ridge became less and less frequent. She had other things to do, important things.

_And,_ San thought bitterly, _so did he._

Something hot and wet trailed down her cheek, and San wiped it away angrily. There were no rain clouds in the sky she could blame the moisture on; all she had to blame was Ashitaka. All she had to hate was Ashitaka.

But somehow, all she could do was love Ashitaka.

San let her tears fall freely, and she curled up as tightly as she could. _Damn him!_

**End Chapter**

**

* * *

**As usual, sorry if my updates are slow, I'm writing and posting as quickly as humanly possible. Hope you enjoyed!  
Cheers,  
**_Pen_**


	4. Instincts

Authoress here.

I wish you all a very merry holiday season! Again, I apologize about the wait. School + Art Show + College +Scholarship apps + Death of an idea for this ficclet x NO TIME Long wait. Mathematically speaking.

Sorry about last chapter as well! I went back and re-read and I must say, it's doesn't portray my finest moment as an author. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it.

WARNING: A bit of graphic violence in this chapter. Be warned.

**Earth and Stone  
Chapter Four: Instincts**

**

* * *

**

San ran through the underbrush, her moccasin-clad feet making only the slightest of noises to note her passage. Her spear was held close to her body for ease of movement, but it remained on the ready should danger come.

Her hawk guides flew above her, above the canopy of the forest. They called out periodically in their sharp, keening voices, and San changed her course accordingly.

The muscles in her legs screamed in agony, as San hadn't stopped since they began the journey at sunrise. Her eyes itched with tiredness; she hadn't slept much that night. Still, she kept alert as she ran, keeping her pace steady.

Without warning, one of the hawks ripped through the canopy, scattering leaves as he descended. Landing heavily on a branch level with her head, the hawk preened one feather as San doubled over, catching her breath.

"Midwife, we approach the place where we last saw the wolf-dog. We smell it yet; it must not have moved from this spot since we last knew of its presence." The hawk moved restlessly on his branch. "Midwife, my brother and I wish to go no further, and return to the trees of our kind."

"I understand." San had finally regained her wind, and tested her spear blade on one of the gently-fluttering leaves that still fell from the hawk's descent. The honed metal sliced the leaf neatly in two, and San allowed herself a small smile. "I'll return once I have killed the demon."

"May the winds guide you to fair skies, Midwife." The hawk dipped his beak.

San bowed her head. "May the air yield you guidance and good fortune. Thank you for your help."

The hawk took off from his perch in a flurry of talons and feathers; it wasn't long until the sounds of his flight faded. San rested for another moment before continuing at a more sensible gait than the flat run the hawks had set for her. She tasted the air as she trotted, hoping to catch what the hawks had sensed to direct her towards the demon.

After another half-hour of searching, San found the demon. The smell hit her before she saw it, though- an odor of raw meat, coupled with dried blood and the sickly-sweet scent of decayed flesh. The stench assaulted her nose in a way that made her bite back bile. Eyes watering slightly, San stepped forward silently, taking small sips of air to lessen the affects of the awful reek.

"H-Human…" A low, feral voice off to her left made San jump. She whipped around, spear at the ready. There, crouched over the long-dead carcass of a pine martin and other various remains, was the half-wolf. Its ribs were thrown into relief, the skin stretched tightly over the bones. Its fur was dull and matted with dried blood and thistles. As it staggered forward, San could see that the pads of the beast's feet were ripped and bloody. A smear of foam flecked its lower jaw; its eyes were rimmed in red, with thick mucus coagulating at the corners.

San fought the urge to take a step backwards in horror. The animal didn't look demonic as much as it looked deathly sick, despite the madness that burned in its eyes. As it opened its mouth to speak, a thick rope of saliva oozed down between its yellowed, blood-encrusted teeth.

"Human… should run… blood… death…" The beast could barely rasp words out, all the while taking labored steps towards her. San fought her panic off as she almost turned to do what the wolf-dog suggested. Instead, she lowered her spear and fell into a fighting stance.

"My brother, why are you killing needlessly? Does a demon grip your soul?" San shouted.

"Demon…? No, I kill… I bite… was bitten…" The creature growled, the madness in its eyes growing as it spoke, its voice becoming more ferocious and more insane. Then, without warning, it gave an almighty snarl of rage before springing at her.

San was caught off guard. She hadn't been expecting the creature to be able to move so fast, with its footpads being as torn up as they were. She managed to throw herself out of the way, but had to quickly dodge again as it came around for a second attack.

"DIE!" The wolf-dog howled, the word ripping from its throat. Foam came out from behind its barred teeth, and the matted fur along its back was raised angrily. San jumped out of the way of a third pass, and gave a quick, downward slice with her spear. She caught the fleshy part of the beast's back, and dark, diseased-looking blood poured out from the wound. The chunk of flesh that she had hewn from its back gave off a foul odor as well. The creature gave an unearthly shriek of pain and fury, and, turning on its haunches, sank its teeth into the wooden shaft of San's spear.

The shaft, although a stout piece of hardwood, broke to splinters in the mighty vice of the wolf-dog's jaws. San threw herself back as the powerful jaws gave another snap. The attack had left her with only a short length of wood connected to the spear head, shortening her reach with the weapon.

As suddenly as the beast attacked, it stopped. It stood, shuddering violently, head bowed and tail tucked in. It whimpered in pain- San hesitated, with the remnants of her spear raised. The wolf-dog looked up at her, and immediately San saw the look of comprehension take place of the madness that echoed in the beast's eyes only a few moments before. It gave another great shudder, almost loosing balance.

"My brother…?" San murmured, confused. The animal gave another piteous whine.

"Kill… me…"

"What?"

The wolf-dog took a staggering step toward her. "Kill me!" In the next instant, the creature bunched itself up and sprang at her a second time. This round, San was ready. She used the jagged butt of her spear-shaft to knock the wolf-dog's jaws away from her face, and then she quickly reversed the weapon to slice again at the animal's neck. The blade caught the scruff and, as the wolf-dog threw itself away from her, the spear was wrenched from her hands.

The wolf-dog gave a dry, humorless laugh that sounded more like a snarl. Though the insane bloodlust still shone in its eyes, San could sense that the creature was battling the madness that threatened to fully possess it. "Kill me."

"I am sorry, my brother," San panted, vainly feeling around for a sharp rock or a heavy branch she could use as a weapon. "I will end your suffering."

The beast again charged her, apparently immune to the pain of the stout spear shaft still wedged in the scruff of its neck. San ran backwards, only to slip on the carcass of the pine martin.

_I'm going to die…_

With the wind knocked out of her, San struggled to breathe as the beast pounded towards her. Scrabbling at the neck of her tunic to pull it away from her constricted throat, San grazed her finger on something deadly sharp.

_Ashitaka's dagger!_

The wolf-dog was upon her, jaws wide open, foul breath blasting into her face. San jabbed the sharp point of the crystal dagger upwards with both hands, feeling the red ribbon the dagger was bound with break at the back of her neck. She felt the dead weight of the beast as it fell on her, roaring still. As the yellowed teeth came toward her face, San wrenched her head to one side and thrust upwards as hard as she could.

There was a deadly moment of silence. The forest was still, not a bird in the area to make any noise. The only sound was San's terrified breathing.

The wolf-dog lay on top of her, dead, with the razor-sharp crystal dagger buried in its throat. The sick-smelling, dark blood oozed around the blade and fell down San's hands to her arms. Blood dripped steadily out of the wounds made when San had whacked the animal in the snout with the jagged end of her spear, and each drop landed on San's cheeks and forehead. Its teeth were brushing San's hair; any further and they would have ripped into her skull. The blood intermingled with the silent tears pouring down San's face; her heart still beat a terrified staccato against her ribcage.

After what seemed like an eternity, San shoved the carcass off of her, bringing the crystal dagger with her as she ran blindly from the scene of death. She didn't stop until she splashed into a stream. Falling to her knees, San splashed the cold water into her face, still crying, and now shaking slightly. The prospect of death had been so close, so real… San's panic seemed to grip her stomach, and she opened her mouth and retched into the water.

Several minutes passed as San breathed the clean air deeply, trying to calm down. Presently she noticed a sharp pain growing in one hand; she had been gripping the dagger that had saved her life in her fist. San immediately dropped her hand into the water and cleaned the blood off of the crystal dagger. Once it was clean, she brought the flat side to her lips, still shaking a little.

_Thank you, Ashitaka._

_

* * *

_

"Ashitaka, have another helping. You're like a scarecrow, you need to eat more."

Ashitaka gave Toki an amused glance as Kouroku burst into noisy laughter. They sat in the couple's small home in the residential district of Iron Town, enjoying a meal at the end of the construction of the town hall. The men had finally finished building it that afternoon, leaving it only to be furnished on the inside. In celebration, they had taken what was left of the day off.

"Toki, my beloved little buttercup, Ashitaka doesn't need a fourth helping unless he really, really likes your cooking."

Kouroku quailed as his wife towered over him, holding a serving spoon in a menacing fashion. "You suggesting my cooking ain't good?"

"O-Of course not, my ravishing, delectable, cuisine-goddess," Kouroku stuttered. "In fact, I think you wanted another helping, didn't you, Ashitaka my friend?"

Ashitaka couldn't help but laugh as the big man cowered beneath Toki's pregnant frame. "A small one, please. If I eat much more I don't think Hiasu will carry me anymore."

Toki beamed, and then waddled towards the small kitchen off of the larger room where the low-slung table was set up. Kouroku sent Ashitaka a thankful glance before downing the contents of his cup. "You gonna help the women with the insides of the town hall tomorrow?"

"No." Ashitaka sat back, internally wondering how he could squeeze down another helping of the delicious stew. "I was going to take Hiasu and take a look around the orchards for any signs of the animal the farmers have been talking about."

"Oh, the jackal?" Kouroku scratched his cheek, smoothing over the stubble from the previous day. "The one they said was behaving strangely?"

"Yes. They said the oxen wouldn't go near where it had been, either. Normally, I would let it go as just a hungry jackal daring to go near men to perhaps get a meal, but the oxen wouldn't behave that way if that were the case."

Toki re-entered the room, bearing a huge bowl of the steaming stew. "I know you said a small one, but this way you can just eat what you like."

Ashitaka chuckled, picking up his chopsticks again. "Thank you, Toki."

She slowly got to her knees, leaning heavily on Kouroku's outstretched arm. "Ahh, thank you, Kouroku dear. I'm gonna be so glad when this little girl shows up!"

"Little girl?" Kouroku said blankly. "I want a little boy!"

Toki snorted. "A miniature you? Please, I can feel it's going to be a proper young lady."

As Kouroku opened his mouth to protest, Ashitaka cut in with a grin. "How do you know it's not twins? You could end up with one of both."

"Bite your tongue." Toki said, looking aghast. "One will be trouble enough! I gotta take care of a kid and Kouroku; I don't think I could handle a third baby!"

Ashitaka joined Toki's laughter as Kouroku sputtered at Toki's insult. He quickly fell silent, mulling over what had happened earlier that day. All morning he had been feeling emotions completely unrelated to whatever he was feeling at the time, and around noon he had felt such a strong feeling of terror he had gasped aloud. For some reason he was certain it was San. During the war of the gods and humans, Ashitaka had seen a vision of the wolf girl riding into battle; perhaps the feeling of panicked dread he had felt around mid-day was something like that.

Around midnight, he excused himself from his friends' company, thanking Toki for her generous hospitality. He walked slowly, watching the black tree line as he went. Tomorrow, he would be able to escape the tall walls of Iron Town… perhaps, tomorrow he would finally see her again.

**End Chapter

* * *

**

Authoress here.

Hopefully, I can post another chapter while I remain on break from school. Hope this one was good enough to make the wait worth it!

Cheers,  
Pen


	5. A Sickness Spreads

**Earth and Stone  
Chapter Five: A Sickness Spreads**

**

* * *

**

The bay stallion trumpeted to the sky as his rider urged him from the dark doorway of the town stables. Ashitaka had to restrain himself from crying aloud with excitement like Hiasu; every nerve in his body tingled with a palpable sense of destiny. He had hardly left the fortified walls of Iron Town in seven years, and now he had a concrete excuse to explore the mountainside that kissed the edge of the town's gardens. He couldn't contemplate why San would choose today to venture that close to other humans, but some irrepressible part of his mind screamed that she'd be there, if only he would venture out into the dark forest.

Townsfolk called out cheerful greetings to him as Hiasu trotted through the streets at an eager, brisk pace. Ashitaka felt a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth, until a much more urgent voice cut through his thoughts.

"Lord Ashitaka!"

With a deep sigh, Ashitaka reined in Hiasu. The stallion tossed his head impatiently, and Ashitaka stroked his proud neck in a silent apology. A dark-haired youth only a few years younger than Ashitaka ran up to Hiasu's side, where he doubled over, panting for breath.

"What's the matter?"

"A-Another attack," the boy wheezed. "In the orchard, the jackal was back. My c-cousin tried to make it go away by throwing stones and it fell upon him. It didn't bite, thank the gods, but it gouged my cousin's chest with its claws. We pushed the brute away with our shovels before it bit him."

"Where is your cousin now?" Ashitaka asked sharply.

"A number of our men had him taken to the wise woman who cares for our apple trees, Lord. We didn't trust our speed and his condition to make the journey back to Iron Town."

"Come with me." Ashitaka held out his hand. The boy complied, swinging himself up behind Ashitaka. With a silent cue to Hiasu, Ashitaka swung the stallion around and they thundered towards the gate.

"What happened to the jackal?" Ashitaka shouted over the pounding of shod hooves on the hard earth.

"It went back into the forest, to the northwest!"

They had sped through the gate and down the path to the orchards. The workers gave a ragged cheer as Ashitaka pulled Hiasu up in front of a lean-to where the laborers could get cool water and their midday meal. Inside was a gnarled woman, who was leaning over a groaning man. Ashitaka could see from Hiasu's back that the man's wounds were deep and serious. The youth behind him moaned at the sight and slid off of Hiasu's back.

"Will he live?"

The old woman didn't look up. "By my art, I say these wounds will not kill him. But what I cannot say is if the poison of the demon had overcome his soul."

Ashitaka nodded, grim. "Is there a bow and a full quiver in the stores here?"

Another worker slipped his own bow and quiver from his shoulder. "'Ere, Lord. Take mine, though Oi don't knows what good they'll be again' a demon."

"You're not thinking of going after that beast on your own, are you, Lord Ashitaka?" The youth who had run to find him cried, tears making clean trails down his dirty cheeks. "You'll be killed!"

"I am going, and no one else is to follow me." Ashitaka tested the worker's bowstring before selecting an arrow and peering down the shaft to check the straightness and the fletching. "These are fine weapons, my friend. Thank you for the loan."

"My Lord, the boy is right." An older woman spoke, face tight with anxiety. "There is not a one among us who doubts your strength, but there are many who would attend you in a hunting party later. Give us four hours, and my husband could muster twenty riders armed with firearms."

The crowd around her murmured their assent. Ashitaka resolutely shook his head. "I thank you for your concern, but it is best if I venture into this forest alone. It is not by our mercy that we live in peace with these woods. We all have seen how speedily the forest has returned; there is magic here yet. If I brought a host of armed men into the realm of the beasts I doubt we would find them peaceable."

"But my Lord-" Another worker began to protest, but he fell silent as Ashitaka's eyes found his. Without any other words, Ashitaka turned Hiasu and galloped towards the imposing tree line.

_

* * *

_

Usi-Kai trotted at her side, sneaking looks at her when he thought she wasn't looking. San didn't blame her wolf-brother; she knew she looked and smelled a mess. Vomit and blood and fear filled her senses still, even though she had traveled miles from the scene of the battle. At first her brother had been furious that the Sky Tribe hadn't allowed her time to alert Usi-Kai and Yama-Inu so that they could help, but now he was complacent with the fact that San was unharmed.

"There are others, my brother, and it worries me." San chewed on her bottom lip pensively. "Rumors of the badger, and a fox told me that a jackal was acting in a similar manner to the south of our borders when I was traveling back here. Surely we would have known earlier if a group of demons were coming?"

"That puzzles me also, my sister. I would have thought that the Sky Tribe-" he growled slightly- "would have some knowledge of a pack of these demons moving to our forest. They usually have alerted us in the past."

"Unless-" San shuddered slightly, remembering dark, undulating coils of hatred radiating from an awful curse-mark- "they are being created from one source. Perhaps one demon slipped past our knowledge and now innocent creatures are being swayed by the allure of that one."

The big wolf was silent in thought. "I fear you are correct, little sister," he said after a pause. "And in that event we must eradicate them from our forest."

San nodded, silent in her own thoughts. She knew that with her brothers by her side, a conflict between another one of the strange beasts wouldn't be as dangerous… unless one of them was infected with the curse. She shuddered again. Usi-Kai was unaware of her discomfort, and he stopped beside her.

"Get on, little sister. We shall travel south and see if we cannot kill the jackal that you spoke of. I don't know where our brother is…"

"He is on the hunt in the east," San responded. She hesitated to mount; Usi-Kai eyed her with concern.

"What is the matter?"

"My weapon…" San gestured helplessly. "I have not your teeth and claws, brother. I need my spear."

"Where is it?" Usi-kai nosed her gently. "If you didn't have it with you, then how did you kill the wolf-dog?"

San reached up to her throat, where the crystal dagger hung from the retied ribbon. "I almost didn't survive the encounter."

Usi-kai paused, clearly torn between journeying all the way back to their den to find San another weapon and going on to deal with the demon jackal. San gave him a small smile.

"I will stay out of your way if you wish to leave now."

The wolf gave a bark of approval, and as soon as San was seated on his broad back they were off like wraiths through the trees.

_

* * *

_Hiasu sensed his master's urgency, and ran as if outpacing the wind. Ashitaka guided the stallion with his knees; he needed his hands free to keep an arrow to the string. Being under the dark canopy of the trees sent a thrill of foreboding down his spine-though he did not feel afraid, there was a menacing feeling in the air. 

Fortunately, the jackal's retreat had left a visible trail, a fact that Ashitaka found just as unnerving as the dark forest. Most animals could maneuver the underbrush without as much as a broken leaf, but his quarry had broken branches off and left tufts of matted fur on snags and twigs.

Without warning the jackal came into view as Hiasu turned around a stand of trees. The creature looked like it was at Death's door and a powerful odor of rotted flesh filled Ashitaka's nose. Hiasu slowed nervously, blowing and tossing his head.

The jackal stared at its hunter for a moment before baring its yellowed teeth. The golden eyes were clouded over, but an intense hate radiated from their filmy depths. It gave a low, hoarse bark before pouncing at Hiasu's chest.

Ashitaka used his knees to wheel the stallion around, firing an arrow at the brute as he did. The arrow gouged into the jackal's shoulder, causing it to fall onto its side. Ashitaka slowed, pulling another arrow from his quiver as he did. The jackal wasn't showing any signs of pain; instead, it staggered to its feet and bit at the wound. The arrow, along with a chunk of its own flesh, was ripped away by the fearsome yellow teeth. Ashitaka stared in horror, mentally thanking the fates that the orchard worker hadn't been bitten by this monster.

He didn't have time to stand around for much longer, as the jackal rushed towards him a second time. Hiasu reared away from the attack and as the stallion rose onto his back legs, he struck out at the jackal's head with his sharp front hooves. There was a sickening crack as a hoof connected with the beast's foreleg instead; the limb dangled uselessly. Again, the jackal gave no notice to its atrocious injury and pushed itself up on its hind legs to jump at Ashitaka.

Ashitaka jerked backwards and lost his balance; flailing uselessly, he tipped off of Hiasu and fell to the ground heavily. The quiver of arrows fell beneath him, and with an agonizing pain he felt an arrowhead pierce the bamboo quiver and into his lower back. A half-heartbeat later, he felt another jolt of red-hot pain as his head smashed into the ground.

The world slid in and out of focus to the throbbing agony in his head and lower back. Through his haze, he felt the sickening weight of the jackal fall on his legs, and he heard the panicked bugle of Hiasu. Then, a horrible roar that may or may not have come from the jackal split his head apart; unable to stop himself, Ashitaka half-rolled over and vomited from the pain.

Suddenly the weight of the jackal was gone, and someone- a human- had their hand on the side of his face. The skin was rough, though the touch itself was gentle, and warm. His vision slid back into focus long enough to focus on the features of a person he had visited often in his dreams.

"San…?" Ashitaka asked thickly, and then his world went black and he knew no more.

**End Chapter

* * *

**

Authoress here.

Cookies to all who has it figured out that the animals aren't demons- they're just rabid. Hence the foaming and sickness and other nasties they're exhibiting.

So, that wasn't quite the reunion Ashitaka was hoping for, but hey- a reunion is a reunion.

Again, sorry about the wait, but you know- life is life. Thank you for the reviews, they're truely a motivation.

Cheers,  
Pen


	6. Simple Twist of Fate

**Earth and Stone  
Chapter Six: A Simple Twist of Fate**

**

* * *

**

Ashitaka opened his eyes with painful slowness. Beside him, firelight danced on a rough-cut stone wall, highlighting the dark outline of a person sitting next to him. His cheek pressed into the soft, earthy-scented fur of a rabbit or some other small creature. He lay on his stomach, and as he tried to rise, he found out why. His head reeled, and his lower back throbbed in a painful reminder of his encounter with the vicious jackal. Despite himself, Ashitaka groaned loudly.

"You're awake." The husky female voice that spoke from above his head sounded awkward, as if she weren't used to speaking in the tongue of men.

Ashitaka let his body relax. Despite the pain, he felt more content than he believed possible. "San-"

"Don't talk." San instructed, and Ashitaka felt something cool press to his head. "You've just stopped bleeding. Your cloth is ruined, though."

Ashitaka couldn't stop a second groan at the contact. "The jackal…?"

"Dead." The cool cloth was removed, and Ashitaka heard the sounds of water sloshing around a bowl before the cloth was replaced again. "Usi-Kai my brother killed the demon."

"My horse… Hiasu, is he-?"

"He is outside the cave. He is unharmed."

"And you?" Ashitaka's voice was softer, more gentle. "Are you alright?"

San didn't answer right away. The small fire she had built was getting low; Ashitaka's skin, bared to the waist, was still illuminated and shining with a thin sheen of sweat. The rough scrap of cloth she had salvaged from his tunic was currently doubling as a bandage over the deep gash in his back; it was stained dark with his blood. The smell of it still lingered over his body.

"You… never came back." San's voice was carefully neutral, and her movements were brisk as she took the bandage off and soaked it in the earthenware bowl next to her. "I never saw you."

"San, I-"

"I didn't care; I never looked for you anyway."

Ashitaka sat up, tears springing unbidden to his eyes from the pain of movement, suppressing a grunt from the effort. He turned around slowly, catching San's hand as she made to push him down again. "I never stopped thinking of you."

"Well, thinking doesn't do much, now does it?" San said savagely. "Now lie back down before your wounds reopen-"

"Damn them, San, I'm trying to apologize!" Ashitaka tightened his grip on her hand, voice hoarse from the ache from his injuries. "I tried to come to you, but I couldn't abandon those people."

"I told you, I don't care!" San spat. "I never expected much from a human anyway; you're no real disappointment." Again she tried to tug her hand away, but Ashitaka's arm pulled her forwards until they were nose to nose, the back of her hand pressed to his collarbone.

"San, I'm so sorry…" Ashitaka's dark eyes reflected the dying fire; the flames seemed to come alive in their depths. San wrenched her gaze away, fighting back the tears that threatened to overspill.

"Let me go!"

Ashitaka's grip loosened and San snatched her hand away, breathing hard. Ashitaka was panting too; he swayed where he sat, head bowed. Slowly, San put her hands on his shoulders and lowered the young man back onto his stomach. He didn't tense beneath her grip like she expected but instead relaxed, submitting to her direction. He lay so still that San thought he had dropped into unconsciousness again save for the soft growls of pain. He had started to bleed from his back wound again; San rewetted the cloth and pressed gently on the cut, eliciting another moan from her charge.

San stood, padding silently over to the small bundle of dried flowers she kept by her sleeping furs. Selecting one with thin, clustered white flowers, San pulled it from its fellows and went back to Ashitaka's side. Carefully plucking off the white petals and stripping the leaves, San put them in her mouth and began to chew. When the vegetation had taken on a paste-like consistency, she spat the mouthful into her hand and then gently dabbed the mixture into Ashitaka's wound. He hissed at her finger's intrusion.

"It makes the pain go away faster," San mumbled. She dropped the stem with its few remaining petals in front of Ashitaka's face for his inspection.

"Yarrow."

"Is that what it's called?"

San could hear the smile in Ashitaka's voice. "Yes. Our healers have gardens full of the stuff."

"Is it… nice in your town?" San's voice was timid, almost apologetic.

"It's nice enough." Ashitaka responded. "The people certainly seem happy enough within its walls."

"Ashitaka…"

"Yes?"

"I did look for you." San turned away abruptly from him, even though he couldn't see her face from his position. "I used to, anyway."

"I am truly sorry, San. I did try to come and see you, I just…" Ashitaka trailed off with a sigh. "I have no excuse."

"Those people… you lead them, now that the she-devil is dead, don't you?"

"Lady Eboshi isn't dead." Ashitaka's voice was slowly becoming more lethargic as he spoke. "She is unwell, but she still lives."

"But you lead the people?"

He hesitated a moment before answering. "I have been guiding them, yes."

San's voice came out muffled as she buried her head in her arms, still facing away from him. "I understand why you didn't come, then."

"San…"

She raised her head and turned to look at him. He still lay face down.

"Can I see your face?"

San hesitated, and then cautiously lowered herself to the pile of furs she had laid Ashitaka on, on her stomach and facing him. Brown eyes stared into brown eyes, one set half-closed with exhaustion. San marveled at the changes in his face from when she last saw him. He no longer retained the trace of boyhood that lingered in his visage; even in relaxation, his countenance remained that of a man. The scar that she knew as her own doing was a line of white in his otherwise tanned skin, and another small scar made a permanent indent at the end of his left eyebrow. A faint line between his brows told of his weary task of overseeing the rebirth of the human's town. The spider-web lines at the corners of his mouth made San slightly jealous; other people had seen the smile that made those lines over the last seven years, not her.

During her scrutiny, though, Ashitaka's lips lifted in a tired smile that revealed a hint of his teeth. As she watched, his eyes closed and his breathing evened out in slumber.

The young woman sighed, eyes soft as she watched him sleep. Ducking her head slightly, San let her forehead rest against Ashitaka's shoulder. His skin was warm, and his steady breathing was soothing. When Usi-Kai returned to the den an hour later, a dead weasel dangling from his jaws, he found her curled up next to the wounded human, fast asleep.

* * *

"Lord Ashitaka isn't back yet?-!" Toki's belligerent voice jolted Kouroku from his sleep with a strangled yelp. His wife shot him a glare before returning her attention to the messenger standing in front of their home.

"He went out to see about a jackal that had been hanging around the orchards this morning, and the workers say he went into the forest after it once he arrived."

"And no one's seen him since?" Toki demanded. The messenger shrank back.

"No. Some of the workers followed his trail, and they-"

"Have you gone to Lady Eboshi yet?"

The messenger shook his head. "Not yet, Miss Toki. We didn't want to disturb her-"

"Lord Ashitaka has gone missing! If that doesn't concern the Lady than I don't know what does!" Toki flared. "Kouroku, get your lazy ass outta bed and go with this man to the Lady Eboshi, and make sure he goes straight away!"

Kouroku stumbled from the comfort of the futon and hastily crossed to the door. "We'll find him, Toki my darling," Kouroku promised softly. "Don't vex y'self any further."

"Go on, y'great lump." Toki whispered, pausing to brush Kouroku's stubble-covered chin with her fingertips.

"Sit down and rest. I'll return home when we know more." Kouroku shut the door behind him, and jogged after the messenger. The journey to Eboshi's house was a short one, and soon a maid was showing the pair to Eboshi's chambers.

"My Lady," the messenger bowed, "I am sorry to disturb you."

"Forget the formalities. What is amiss?"

"Ashitaka's been missing since this morning." Kouroku broke in. "He went into the forest after a jackal, and that's the last anyone's seen of him."

"Some men tracked him, and found the jackal, dead." The messenger added. "They reported signs of battle and tracks of a large wolf, as well as hoof prints from his stallion. The stallion has also not returned."

Eboshi settled back into her blankets. "Then there's nothing more we can do for him."

The messenger and Kouroku stared at the regal woman, at a loss for words. Finally, Kouroku sputtered out "Nothing we can do-?" as the messenger cried "He might have been eaten-!"

"Wolf tracks, and I'll bet there were small human prints as well." Lady Eboshi reached for the handle of her pitcher of mead. The messenger quickly picked it up for her and poured the dark liquid into a wine glass. She accepted it with a nod and took a sip.

"The wolf girl has him now, I assume. He's safe, but unreachable."

Kouroku started, comprehension dawning on his face. "Mononoke-hime… Ashitaka called her San."

The messenger wasn't a native of Iron Town, and watched the exchange with a mystified expression on his face. "The Beast Princess?"

"A long, tiresome story." Eboshi took another sip from her glass of mead. "Perhaps, Juko, when a storytelling mood takes me, I'll tell you about the war between men and gods. As for now, however, I suggest that you not send any men out into that accursed forest to search for him."

"I am still confused as to why not, my Lady." Juko murmured respectfully.

"If my assumptions are correct, then Ashitaka is in the company of two lesser wolf-gods and a very fearsome woman who has fostered a hate for the human race for most of her life." Lady Eboshi said dryly. "I doubt a confrontation between our men and that group would end peaceably."

He looked alarmed. "And why would Ashitaka hold such company?"

Eboshi gave a small laugh, which turned into a dry cough. Taking another pull from her goblet, Eboshi glanced sardonically at the messenger. "Love makes a man do strange things. Take Kouroku, for instance. I assume that his charming wife Toki was the woman who persuaded him to leave home in such a rush that he forgot to change from his sleeping attire."

Kouroku gave a squawk of dismay as he realized that he was indeed clad only in an old tunic and a mawashi. "P-Pardon me, my Lady."

"I understand. Toki is probably pacing around at your home, and that cannot be good for her child. Please, go home to her. Thank you for bringing me this information, both of you. Juko, if anything new is discovered concerning our Lord Ashitaka, make it so that I am among the first informed."

"Yes, my Lady." Juko and Kouroku stood and bowed before exiting the chamber, Kouroku pulling down his tunic to cover himself more properly. Lady Eboshi smiled to herself before calling in one of her attendants.

"Yume, summon the head architect Gio for me. If our Ashitaka has gone missing, we must try to fill his place as best as we can. Gio can take over Lord Ashitaka's duties until his return."

The young attendant colored slightly as she spoke. "Do you expect the Lord Ashitaka to be missing for long?"

Eboshi drained her glass and set it by the pitcher. "For his sake, I rather hope so."

**End Chapter**

* * *

For your reading pleasure- a mawashi is that Japanese sort of apron-diper thingy that is kind of like an American whitey-tighty... I didn't find the actual name of the everyday kind off of the Internet, so I had to settle for the name of the diper thing that sumos wear. I thought that the difference wouldn't be too horrible.

I have been slacking off in my posting/writing/updatingness. I hope I am worthy of forgiveness. Thank you all for your reviews! They are wonderful.

Until next chapter (when that will be, I'm not sure…)  
Pen


	7. Stranger At the Gate

Pen present.

First of all- SO very sorry about my lack of updates. I completely lost my plot sheet, so from this point on, I'm writing from the top of my head from what I can remember. This might not be that much, so bear with me and please be gracious about any and all plot holes.

Second of all, a big, heartfelt thanks to all of you who are reading, and especially to all of you who review. Anyone who is an author of anything knows the feeling of a review. I know that this particular movie isn't one of the most popular categories on this site, so I wasn't expecting many reviews, but you guys blew me away. Thank you!

Onto the chapter, then.

**Earth and Stone  
Chapter Seven: Stranger At the Gates**

**

* * *

**

"My Lady Eboshi, I hate to disturb you, but there's a conflict that is havin' difficulty bein' resolved."

Eboshi lifted one eyelid reluctantly, and with a groan she propped herself up onto her pillows. Song was bobbing frantically at the doorway, trying to keep a burly worker from entering the chamber. The worker, looking haggard beneath a day's worth of stubble and dark-rimmed eyes, appeared apologetic as well as slightly angry. Yume, another young servant of Eboshi's house, was vainly trying to prevent the worker's mud-covered companions from entering behind their friend.

"Yume, Song, please allow these gentlemen to enter."

Yume cast a dark look at the men at the word _gentlemen_ as if she didn't believe that the label could be applied to such men, but bowed in deference to her lady's wishes and stepped primly out of the workmen's way. Song, however, looked around at Eboshi worriedly.

"My lady, you need rest, and couldn't any conflict be taken up by Gio? He is in charge while L-Lord Ashitaka's gone."

Eboshi gave the young woman a knowing smile before responding. Song was still pining over the handsome young man, Eboshi surmised from the slight stutter in her voice. "My dear girl, I was just about to ask these men the same question. However, since I believe the answer will be long and complicated, I promise that I won't wear myself out too much. Is that suitable?"

"Yes, milady, but please take your medicine first."

Eboshi wrinkled her nose. "That bile? I shan't need it tonight. I am feeling much stronger than I have."

Song fixed her mistress with an admonishing gaze. "Now, milady, you know as well as I do that should I let you skip tonight, you'll just want to skip it tomorrow night, and the next, and then what shall I do with you? Also, Maeduyo will have both of our heads if you refuse to drink the medicine."

Eboshi shrugged helplessly. "You make a forcible point, my girl. Go now; I'll choke it down later."

Song opened her mouth to protest, but Eboshi silenced her with a firm shake of her head. "Not now, Song."

The young medic dipped her head in a bow before backing out of the same door Yume had exited through. Once she had departed, Eboshi turned her attention to the workers. "What is this pressing problem you gentlemen have? And why is Gio not taking care of it?"

"Gio, milady, is a _part_ o' the problem;" one of the other men growled. "'E made an unfair judgment on 'ow much the fruit vender should be paid for the damage on 'is wares by one of our men. Gio said that our man should reimburse the fruit as well as 'alf as much again to pay for the trouble. A worker's salary t'ain't large 'nough to support such a charge, an' it bein' an accident an' all, it just t'ain't right."

"And why hasn't this man come to me?"

The first man shuffled his feet sheepishly, apparently unaware of the large amounts of dirt he was depositing on the rug. "He felt it unwise to disturb you, milady. He would rather go broke than do anythin' to stop you from getten' well."

"He's a real kind-hearted fellow, milady, and that makes his bad fortune all the harder for us to see him bear. So we came on his behalf." A bearded man spoke up, an earnest look in his wide-set eyes. "We wouldn't have come, but he's got a liddle baby jus' born and he won't take any of our help."

"He just keeps sayen' that we ought to trust Gio like we did Lord Ashitaka, 'cause you appointed Gio to take the lord's place," the first worker added.

"Gio's just making our fellow pay more so he looks better, more generous," another man from the back grumbled. "Lord Ashitaka would have reached a much fairer decision." His words brought a murmur of assent from his fellows, which Eboshi silenced with a look.

"I have no doubts that our lord could have handled this gracefully, but we must come to terms that Ashitaka isn't here, and will not be here for an undeterminable amount of time. We are not so brutish, however, that we cannot reach civilized agreements without his wisdom, no matter how much it may seem so." Eboshi motioned for the first worker to fetch her a goblet of water from a basin across the room. "Let me wet my throat first, and then I will come with you to resolve this."

"But Milady-"

"Not a word from any of you." Eboshi pulled back her mantle and swung her legs out to rest her feet on the floor. "I am still the founder of this town, and my decisions still hold sway. Your friend seems an honest man, and I doubt very much that this incident was done with malice. I shall see to it personally that your friend is not cheated."

"Milady, you are ill-"

"Silence." Eboshi accepted the cup of water and downed it. "The next person to comment on the state of my health will repave the main entrance road single-handedly! I will not hear any more objections. Now, let's see about this discrepancy, shall we?"

* * *

Ashitaka awoke slowly, savoring the smell of wood burning in clear morning air. Despite the stiffness in his lower back and the dull throb of his head, he felt refreshed and more cheerful than he had been in months. Slowly, as to avoid further disturbance of his injuries, Ashitaka eased himself into a sitting position and looked around for his protector. 

San was by the fire, dosing where she sat. Her head drooped so that her forehead rested upon one upraised knee, and the knotted twine usually restraining her hair was missing. The dark strands partially obscured her face. At his movements, however, she started and looked over at him.

"You must have some sort of enjoyment of pain, since you keep moving so much." Her voice did not sound angry.

Ashitaka didn't respond, testing the limits of his body gingerly. To his pleasant surprise, he found he could move slowly with relatively little pain. Using his newfound mobility, he crawled to San's side by the fire. The warmth felt good on his still-bare torso, and he leaned a little closer to the flames. A small thrill ran through him as he felt San place her hand on his back, obviously checking his wound. He relaxed as her experienced fingers prodded at the flesh around the cut; apparently satisfied with her findings, San's hand withdrew.

"You're healing nicely."

"Thanks to you." Ashitaka sent a slow smile her way, enjoying the flicker of flame-thrown shadows dancing across the contours of her face. Her gaze held his steadily, brows creasing as she studied him.

"You never stopped thinking of me?"

Ashitaka stared at her for a moment at a loss before recalling their previous conversation. He nodded, slowly, eyes still trained on hers.

San turned roughly away, the back of one hand pressed to her cheek. She stood abruptly and paced to the front of the cave. Her face felt hot, and her stomach had lurched pleasantly when she had touched his skin moments before. Perhaps she was getting ill. And if that were the case, she had best keep her distance from Ashitaka rather than get him sick as well…

"Does that bother you?"

San sighed; her stomach had protested again gently at the husky voice. "Why would it bother me?" Her voice didn't come out as hard as she wanted it to; in fact, she sounded quite breathless.

"I don't mean to make you uncomfortable." Ashitaka's voice was quiet, almost too formal. "And I apologize if I have done so-"

"It's not you." San cut him off, not believing her own words, as her cheeks had flared again with his voice. "I-I'm just not feeling my best, that's all."

"Oh." His voice was contrite. A lark singing outside of the cave mouth broke the silence that settled between them. San turned and went back to Ashitaka's side, dropping into a crouch.

"Are you thirsty? I can get you some water if you are."

His kind brown eyes smiled back at her. "I don't want to strain you if you're not feeling well."

"I'm not an invalid." San retorted. "You're the one with the injuries."

Ashitaka sank to his stomach obediently, a hint of a smirk on his face. "Yes, miss. Whatever you say."

San stared at him as he settled into his submissive position. His eyes held the same mischievous spark she saw in Usi-Kai whenever he was playing keep-away with her. She grinned back, and then stood up and left the cave, returning moments later with a full water skin. She crossed the space to where Ashitaka lay, and then dumped the contents onto his head and back. Ashitaka yelped in surprise, and San started to giggle.

"Is that enough water for you?"

Without warning, Ashitaka's hand latched around one of her knees and pulled hard, so that she overbalanced and toppled over. Ashitaka crawled over her and shook his dripping head over her face. San shrieked as the cold water peppered her skin.

"Though you were funny, hmm?" Ashitaka laughed as San put her hands to ward the droplets off. "How do _you_ like it?"

San pushed on Ashitaka's shoulders, and he winced a little. Immediately San ceased applying pressure, concerned about his wounds. She opened her mouth to ask if he was alright, but before she said anything the realization hit her about their position, and the heat of his skin beneath her palms. The firelight hit the rivulets of water running down his chest and face, making the young man glow.

Ashitaka realized their position about the same time San did, and after a moment's hesitation, backed up and sat on his haunches, eyes still trained upon her face. San stayed where she was for a moment before getting back to her feet.

"I'll get you a fur to dry off with."

* * *

The guard looked over the wall at the finely adorned stranger, then at his small band of similarly-dressed comrades, most of them monks. The leader, however, appeared to be a wealthy person, but not a holy man. "State your name and business in Iron Town, stranger!" 

The young man gave a short bow from his saddle, hands tight on the reins of his high-strung mount. "My name is Kataki Bou, and my men and I are just passing through this area. We need a place to stay for the night, and I wish to pay my respects to the Lady Eboshi as well."

"Whaddyou want with her Ladyship?"

Kataki laughed a little; his voice was musical and deep. "My father and Lady Eboshi once knew each other well, and I come to inquire of her health and look upon the town in its second birth."

The guard disappeared behind the wall for a moment, obviously conferring with his fellows. With a great creaking noise, the gate to Iron Town lumbered open and the guard called back down to the small band: "You'll need to leave your weapons with the guards until you're approved by Lady Eboshi or…" the guard faltered slightly, "until you're approved by Lady Eboshi."

"What about Gio? Can't he approve them, so we don't bother her Ladyship?" A faint voice, another guard, floated past the wall.

"That excuse for a leader? Huh, I don't trust 'im. He's certainly no Lord Ashitaka."

Kataki leaned forward in his saddle, motioning for his men to go inside without him. "Lord Ashitaka? Is he here as well? I should dearly like to meet him- he's another of my father's acquaintances."

"Sorry, sir, but Lord Ashitaka is… taking a trip from Iron Town right now. Come in, so we can alert her Ladyship you're here."

Kataki nodded and urged his horse forward. _Ashitaka had better return soon… he and I have a score to settle…_

End Chapter

* * *

DUH DUH DUUUUUUUNN! Someone who has a bone to pick with Ashitaka? Who ever could he be?? 

Chocolate cookies to the reviewer who guesses who his father is (and yes, his father was in the movie.)

Thanks for reading! Until next time,  
Cheers,

Pen


	8. Sons and Fathers

Hey all, Pen here.

I AM SO SORRY about not updating in so long! It seems that my nearing-end-of-high school senioritis has extended past just school work into my fanfiction. So, apologies twice over.

Along the same lines- my hands are in really bad shape, so I thank you for your forgiveness and understanding in the future when my updates continue to be slow. NEVER GET OLD, people. It's no fun.

Cookies to EVERYONE who took a guess at who the father of our new arrival was! But EXTRA cookies to… well, that would just be giving it away, right?

Thanks for your reviews again! Now, here's the chapter.

**Earth and Stone**

* * *

Kataki Bou was not a man of many words, and if not for his appearance he could have very well faded from memory and care of those he met. His eyes, though an unimpressive brown color like that of many of the townspeople, held a sharpness that was reminiscent of a hawk, constantly alert, narrowed, and keen. His figure suggested hard labor, despite the apparent finery of his clothes and the raiment of his company, and he wore his hair in the customary style of a common laborer, a top knot on the crown of his head. He was clean shaven except for a light shadow of stubble from his travels, like the rest of his men. 

Their company had been shown to one of the nicer rooms in town, a spacious, loft-like room above a tea shop. Lady Eboshi's quarters were only a half-mile away, convenient for her would-be guests. However, to Kataki's irritation, the lady of the town was not resting in her quarters, but out and about dealing with town business.

The other men in Kataki's party were content to rest, throwing down traveling sheets and wrapping themselves up to sleep. The quiet snuffles and snores of his company was a familiar, soothing noise to Kataki; he allowed himself to sink into meditation. Soon enough, he would gain audience with Lady Eboshi, hear her side of the story, and then he would go into the accursed forest, into the place that had made his father a broken man.

He only partly blamed Eboshi for his father's ruined fortune, having been fed on a steady diet of bitterness and hate as a child toward anyone related to the Great Disaster. His father, Jiko Bou, had been an assassin monk, an employee of the Emperor. With the promise of a mountain of gold in exchange for the Forest Spirit's head, Jiko had been aided by Eboshi in finding the god, but once he had gotten the head she hadn't helped protect it from the brat Ashitaka and his wolf girl. Those two were the main recipients of Kataki's resentment; it was due to their actions that his father had lost favor with the Emperor, and the reason that Kataki had been forced to live in poverty, scarping a living as a stone mason, hewing living marble from deep, dangerous gorges until finding the small pocket of gold that had restored a small portion of Jiko's fortune. The find hadn't lessened the thirst for revenge; if anything, Kataki was even more determined to make the two pay for the twenty wasted years of his life. The wolf girl had a nice sum on her head; he would bring that to the Emperor instead. Only when all responsible for his horrible life were dead could he finally be satisfied.

Until then, he would wait. He was willing to wait as long as it took.

* * *

"There you have it, gentlemen. You are the fair owner of the calf, Morishuko-san, and you, Hachimura-san, should avoid gambling in the future." 

The two men bowed in thanks to Lady Eboshi before going along their own ways. Gonza, Lady Eboshi's long-time second in command, looked at her admiringly. "M'lady, you've lost none of your touch. T'was fairly decreed."

"Thank you, Gonza." Eboshi shrugged her shoulders a few times, wincing a little as the stiffness in her bones protested the movement. "I envy Ashitaka his horse at such times. If I ever had any doubts about his ideas on maintaining a stable in the past I now understand any and all arguments."

Gonza's face transformed in alarm. "M'lady! Are you fit to travel? Shall I call a rickshaw?"

Eboshi shook her head. "That makes no sense. I have no intention of hiring a man to wait around on my traveling whims."

"Any man here would be more than willing, M'lady."

"They don't know any better; I would be costing them a whole afternoon's worth of commissions." Eboshi sighed, brow wrinkling in thought. "Gonza, let's walk to the stables. Perhaps there would be a solution that would help more than just me."

Yakul's head snapped up as the stable door swung inside, illuminating his large box stall. Restlessly the elk nosed at the two visitors, liquid brown eyes anxious as he found that neither of them were his master. Eboshi stroked the long white blaze that ran down the elk's nose.

"Your master is fine, he's in the forest." Eboshi murmured, remembering the human-like bond that Yakul and Ashitaka shared. "But, in his absence, I was hoping you and I could help one another."

As Eboshi spoke to the elk, Gonza had gone in search of one of the unused, lightweight rickshaws that were stored in the back of the stables. They were normally pulled by a man, and so were as lightweight a vessel as one could find. Though perfect for men, the two-wheeled vehicles were too flimsy to be pulled by the fast-moving horses and mules of Iron Town. However, with Yakul's limp, Eboshi had reasoned that he would move at a slower pace. That, combined with his grace that other pack animals lacked, would make the rickshaw the perfect solution for Eboshi's strength and Yakul's restlessness.

The elk stood still as Gonza rigged a temporary harness to the rickshaw, and when Eboshi told him to walk, Yakul pulled forward as obediently as a cart horse. Eboshi smiled as Gonza walked beside the rickshaw. "I do believe we've reached a solution. Come, Yakul, let's see how our town in faring."

* * *

After another twenty-four hours' rest, Ashitaka felt refreshed enough to stand and walk around the large cave. Twice he had seen the large white wolf brothers coming and going from the cave, bringing back small game, usually rabbits and red squirrels. San had explained their meal plan concerning the low population of bigger game. To make himself useful, Ashitaka had busied himself with the two rabbits Yama-Inu had given to him to prepare and eat how he liked, skinning them and washing them in the nearby stream San had gotten fresh water from. He delayed cooking them, hoping for San to return from her hunt so he could give her some of the meal. He had a feeling that she might appreciate something other than raw rabbit meat, and continued with his preparations by hunting around the foliage within a short walk from the cave. He found some tubers and a few herbs that would combine into a broth before taking another nap. 

"Ashitaka, how are you feeling?" San had returned.

He sat up, then got to his feet to take the brace of dead rabbits from her. "I feel almost as good as normal, thanks to you."

"Fit enough to travel?"

Ashitaka hesitated. He had fancied a hint of disappointment in San's voice, though her face was expressionless. "Perhaps in another day or two, if you don't mind my staying here."

San's smile was unmistakable, and Ashitaka felt himself grow warm in response. he turned to where his broth was warming by a small, banked fire.

"Would you like to try this? It's a simple broth, but you might like it.."

San hunkered down beside him, taking the half-gourd he offered her. Scooping up a sample of the steaming broth, she sipped on it. With a smile and nod, she took another enthusiastic taste. "I like it! It's different."

Ashitaka smiled and joined her. "Where are your brothers now? Yama-Inu was here earlier, but he said he wouldn't be back until tomorrow."

"There's still rumors in the Sky Tribe of another demon." San's face darkened at the memory of the last two demons she had faced. "It seems to be happening too fast, like it's some form of infection rather than a demon plague. Yama-Inu and Usi-Kai were going to make another sweep of the mountain looking for it."

They continued to eat, conversing easily about the state of the forest, replenishing animal populations, and other aspects of their lives until the gourds they were using to scoop the broth out scraped the bottom of the bowl that had been among Ashitaka's things. Then, San spoke up.

"There were two people in the forest today."

"What?"

"They were barely in the trees, close to the gardens. They didn't see me." San paused. "They were acting strangely."

Ashitaka frowned. "How so?"

San herself was frowning, trying to think of a way to accurately describe what she had seen. "They were putting their mouths together, like they were trying to feed one another, but there was no food."

Ashitaka turned pink at her description, replaying a faded and barely-conscious memory of San feeding _him_ in the same way she was describing. "They weren't feeding one another. It was a man and a woman, yes?"

San nodded, mouth full of hot broth.

"Then, they were probably kissing."

"Kissing?"

Ashitaka smiled, gently. "It's what a man and a woman do when they care deeply for one another. When they," he hesitated, eyes on San's face. "When they love one another."

"Why?" San's cheeks were also flushed, but Ashitaka couldn't decide if it was the conversation or the glow of the firelight.

"Well," Ashitaka thought for a moment. "It feels good, I suppose."

"Have you ever… kissed someone?"

Ashitaka felt his cheeks burn. "My mother and sister, but that wasn't the same kind of love. That was a family's love, not… not a lover's love."

"So it's something humans do a lot?"

"I-I suppose. When they want to."

San set her gourd down, not looking at him. Then, she turned to him, and with uncharacteristic tenderness, placed her lips on his.

Ashitaka froze for a moment, before kissing her back. It was simple, and sweet, and made his head swim, and his stomach turn over pleasantly. San never did anything hesitantly, and the kiss was no different. It was as if the sound of the world had turned off, all of Ashitaka's senses were focused on San. San's taste, San's smell, the texture of San's lips, the feel of her hand resting on the back of his neck, fingers twining curiously in the hair at the nape of his neck. The deeper he made the kiss, the more he wanted, and by the way San moved closer to him spoke volumes about her reciprocated feelings.

They overbalanced, San falling back against the cave floor, Ashitaka's hand resting tenderly on the back of her head. He massaged her mouth with his, delighting in her every response. When he finally pulled back, deliciously slow, the moist, soft skin of their lips stuck together until the last moment. He found himself breathing hard, as if he had run a long distance.

He met San's eyes. She looked back calmly, deliberately, and then leaned up to kiss him again.

**End Chapter**

* * *

So, you who guessed Jiko Bou the monk, props AND cookies. 

Again, sorry for the wait, I hope this chapter was a good comeback.

Until next time, cheers,  
Pen


	9. Degrade Thy Soul

Pen here.

Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter! I say this every chapter, but I mean it. You guys are inspirational.

This chapter is inspired by a by Booker T. Washington quote that reminded me heavily of Ashitaka and his purpose:

"I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him."

- Booker T. Washington

**Earth and Stone  
Chapter Nine: Degrade Thy Soul**

**

* * *

**

"You wished to see me?"

The young man stood quickly at Lady Eboshi's arrival, appearing almost bumbling as he made a clumsy bow, smoothing back stray hairs that had freed themselves from his top knot. "Yes, Milady. I-I'm dreadfully sorry if I have come at a- an inconvenient time." He gestured to Song, who was standing in the corner. "Miss Song told me you would be b-back soon, so I thought I'd wait here for you."

Eboshi was no fool. The man, though hesitant in voice and body language, was betrayed by his hawk-like eyes. They had flitted to her face for only an instant when she entered her room, memorizing every line of her features before snapping down to the floor. She had also seen his shoulders tense in anticipation as her footsteps approached, despite his apparent surprise at her entrance. The hard lines around his eyes and mouth didn't show the ineptitude as he was so clearly trying to portray with his act. This man was a coiled steel spring, ready to release at a moment's notice.

"I apologize if you were kept waiting long," Eboshi said briskly, nodding at Song. The young medic moved forward to help Eboshi take off her outer wrap, which was dusty and unkempt from Eboshi's work. The man's eyes darted to the empty, pinned sleeve briefly, before returning to the ground. Eboshi raised one eyebrow, studying the man closely. He appeared familiar, as if she had seen his face in a crowd before. His eyes were wide-set in a manner she recognized, along with the heavy eyebrows above them. She settled onto her bed with an audible sigh before motioning that Song should leave the room.

Once the medic was gone, the stranger sank to his knees next to Eboshi's bed. "Forgive me my intrusion, marm, but you were w-well-acquainted with my late father, a humble monk. I know little about him, as his death preceded my second year, except that you and he worked alongside one another in a grave war."

Eboshi finally placed a name with the stranger's familiar face. Jiko Bou, the not-so-pure monk who had set his sights on the Forest Spirit's head. The fact that this stranger was Bou's son made sense; the monk had been as untrustworthy as his child was proving to be.

The man was an impeccable liar, Eboshi gave him that. However, Eboshi highly doubted that Jiko Bou would have fathered a son that would believe his sire to be naught but a 'humble monk.' Anyone would have been quick to set the boy straight regarding character if his father had died; Eboshi could only assume that Jiko Bou had _not _died so early, as his son was now so earnestly saying.

_But why would he lie? The head of the Forest Spirit is unreachable; I can fathom nothing else Jiko Bou would want from a ruined town, no matter how it was rebuilt. Even if he did want something from Iron Town, why would he send his son to lie first? _Eboshi narrowed her eyes at the man. "You have yet to declare yourself, stranger."

"O-Oh, my apologies," he stuttered, convincingly turning pink under his stubble. "I am Kataki Bou, and my father was the monk Jiko Bou. I wish to hear stories about him and his deeds. I h-have recently found fortune, and have taken it u-upon myself to find out more about my origins, as my mother c-could tell me little b-before her own death."

"Bou-san, I am sorry for your loss," Eboshi said lightly. There had been truth intermingled with the deceit in his words, and for some reason that made her more uneasy than before.

"Thank you, Milady." Kataki bowed low again. When he raised his eyes, his face was rearranged into an expression of hopeful anticipation.

"Unfortunately, I knew your father briefly and he passed from my acquaintance before any allegiance could be formed between us." Eboshi, though curious, wasn't willing to recount the loss of her arm for answers. Nor was she willing to spin lies of her own regarding his father's valor, assuming that Kataki was sufficient enough as a liar to sense when he himself was being deceived.

Kataki looked genuinely disappointed. "Surely you must remember something? I m-mean not to press, but I wish nothing more than to know my s-sire."

"I understand your desire, Bou-san, and I wish I could be of more service. However, you forget yourself. I am an old cripple, and I am often unwell. I might still rule this town, but I no longer do so unaided. The war between gods and men is a terrible memory for anyone unfortunate enough to remember it, and it is a story you shall be hard-pressed to find a narrator for. I apologize again."

Kataki seemed to stand straighter, more confidently. Eboshi knew in an instant he had heard all that he had come for, and so the act was no longer necessary. His eyes glinted dangerously, and Eboshi found herself groping under her cover mantle for the concealed knife she carried on her person constantly.

"Old and enfeebled you may be, Eboshi-san," Kataki said quietly, "you live in relative comfort, surrounded by people who adore you despite the fact that you abandoned your allies in their hour of need. My father died alone, and only I cared or mourned his passing. Where I could have been living in opulence I lived in poverty, robbed of everything because you told your Iron Towners-" he spat the words- "to retreat on the brink of victory. I have made myself, and you are merely the figurehead, placed on a pedestal by ignorant hands."

He crossed the room in an eye blink, a sword appearing in his hand from its sheath as he moved. Eboshi pulled her knife out to defend herself, but Kataki's blade was at her throat faster than she could move.

"Tell me where Ashitaka is," he growled, deadly eyes locked on her face, "and I will not kill you."

"Old and enfeebled I may be," Eboshi murmured softly. "But I am still stronger than you think."

"Is that so?" It was strange; his voice held no malice or maniacal pleasure; only satisfied determination. "For I think that your skin is not as strong as sharpened steel. Do not die a martyr, Eboshi, they are too quickly forgotten. I don't blame you as I blame Ashitaka for my father's failure and disgrace… now tell me where I can find him, and you are spared."

"Oh!" Song had reentered the room. She froze with shock, hands up to her face.

"Song, get out of here!" Eboshi suppressed the panic that was rising in her throat.

"Tell me where Ashitaka is." Kataki's eyes burned.

"Out of your reach," Eboshi said coldly, feeling the blade slide through the thinnest layer of her skin. A trickle of warmth wormed its way down her neck, and Song let out a strangled sob. "Song, leave, now!"

"No, Song, stay and watch while your lady's stubbornness kills her," Kataki said softly. "Though I must admit, your death will not sate my thirst for revenge… I am a determined man, Eboshi. This will only delay me, I will find him… tell me, and you won't die in vain…"

"It will take more than that to scare me." Eboshi spat back. "Song, GO!"

"Fine, your choice-!" Kataki drew the sword back and then-

"He's in the forest!" Song choked out. "He's in the forest with Mononoke Hime!"

"Song…" Eboshi sighed.

Kataki gave the terrified medic a thin-lipped smile. "That was so easy, see?" He nodded to them both, re-sheathed his sword, and was gone before Eboshi could speak.

"M-M-Milady, I'm s-so sorry!" Song sobbed. "I-I lost m-my head, I'm so v-very sorry!"

"It's not your fault, Song." Eboshi swung her legs out of bed quickly, using her arm to throw back the covers. "Guards! Guards, to me!"

A rumble of footsteps, and two men appeared at her door, looking concerned. They saw the line of blood on her neck, and started forward in alarm.

"Milady, what-?"

"A man by the name of Kataki Bou just exited my home," Eboshi cut them off sharply. "He and his men arrived recently. They are not to leave Iron Town. Bring a detail of men to capture them, alive. Move!"

The two men nodded, and hurried back the way they came, leaving Eboshi to Song's weeping. The lady walked towards the crying medic, and put her arm around the sobbing girl's shoulders. "Take comfort- Ashitaka is a capable young man. We must have faith that if Kataki Bou manages to evade our guards, he is well equipped to defend himself."

Song seemed comforted by the words, but Eboshi remained silently troubled. Kataki would have killed her without flinching, and the search party for the young lord had reported traces of blood around the site they had tracked him to. Eboshi could only hope that she had spoken true, and that the wolf girl might protect him as well.

A half an hour later, the guards returned, grim-faced. "His men were gone when we searched the place they were staying. We think they were waiting outside the gates when Kataki Bou was here, speaking with you."

"And Bou? Any signs of him?"

"None, Milady. All of their animals are gone from the stables, too. There's no sign they were even here."

Eboshi sighed, rubbing her temples. "Keep a weather eye, gentlemen. Though, if he did get away, I doubt we'll see him again. We're not who he's after."

The guards bowed themselves from the room. No sooner had they gone, Kouroku was knocking on the lintel, looking anxious. "Milady?"

"What do you need, Kouroku?" Eboshi looked up tiredly. Unused to all of the exercise, she was feeling quite spent.

"You said you wanted to meet me tonight, when we met this afternoon. You mentioned something about a building project you needed me to run."

"Oh." Eboshi sat up straighter, remembering the conversation. "Yes. Please, come in."

"I can come back later, if now's not a good time."

"No, I'd like to outline my idea." Eboshi waited until he had settled himself in the chair next to her bed. "You know that Lord Ashitaka lives alone downstairs, with my servants and my medics, correct?"

Kouroku smiled ruefully. "Do I ever. Toki and I keep pestering him to find his own home, somewhere where the townspeople have more trouble finding him night and day."

Eboshi nodded. "Exactly my feelings. He does too much, and I hope his… break from duty will show him that. And if not, I'd like to take matters into my own hands. Here's what I had in mind…"

* * *

_Four days later_…

Ashitaka tested his muscles experimentally, leaping down from the cave mouth and finding footing on the boulder beneath it. He took another leap, landing on the shale-covered slope leading down to the stream. One of San's wolf-brothers, Yama-Inu, watched in amusement. "Feeling better, I take it?"

Ashitaka stretched languidly on the bank of the stream. "Finally. I'm just a little stiff from not moving, but that shouldn't last."

"Then you should join our hunt tonight. My brother said he saw another deer herd moving in last night; we decided to take one instead of scrounging another meal of rabbit." Yama-Inu growled. He sounded off-hand, but Ashitaka turned around fully to face the godlike wolf in surprise. When San had first brought him to the cave, the two beasts had ignored him pointedly. Only in the last few days had they started to interact with him at all. To invite him to hunt with them was indeed a bolt from the blue.

"I don't know how much help I'll be, but I am honored at the invitation." Ashitaka bowed low. Yama-Inu gave a huff of air in reply, and then stretched out himself, lowering onto his belly for a midday nap.

Ashitaka turned back to the stream, stripping off his tunic as he did. San and Usi-Kai were due back from what San had described as a quick patrol of the Western-most border of the forest, and Ashitaka wanted to bathe before they returned. Lying prone in a cave for a week had its detriments.

The stream was cold and clear, and Ashitaka felt refreshed after a quick wash. He looked up at the sound of quick foot-beats. Usi-Kai padded up quickly, San on his back.

"Ashitaka!" San leapt off, landing in the center of the stream. Ashitaka splashed out to meet her, enfolding her in his arms. It was extremely liberating to do that at will; even more so to have San return the embrace enthusiastically.

"There's something I want to show you."

"What's that?" Ashitaka released her as she tugged at him impatiently.

"You'll see. Can we take Hiasu?"

"He'd like that; poor thing has gotten about as much exercise as I have." Ashitaka whistled through his teeth and the bay stallion trotted over the hill, not even blinking at the leviathan-sized wolves a short distance away. Ashitaka hopped up, wincing at the soreness in his back. As soon as San had mounted up in front of Ashitaka, Hiasu took off at a brisk canter. The stallion had become adept at traveling through the young forest; he wove the trees easily, occasionally jumping the fallen logs of the previous woodland.

San guided the stallion with her legs, and Ashitaka marveled at the new life flourishing around them. "This all grew in the last seven years?"

"Yes." Ashitaka could hear the smile in her voice. "There's some magic left here; not all of it is gone. But, it's also partly in thanks to your Iron Town. They haven't ventured any farther than the shoreline, and they haven't killed all life there either."

"The garden has been particularly fruitful in the last few seasons," Ashitaka said. "The ape tribe sometimes comes through and takes some of the produce, but the people have come to expect it. Some of the new comers have even taken to leaving some of each crop on the trees and plants especially for the apes."

"Your people have learned to co-exist." San mused. "I didn't think it was possible. Where do these new comers hail from? And why did they come?"

San kept asking about Iron Town and its inhabitants, more curious than Ashitaka had ever known her to be about human activity. He answered her questions all the way to her secret destination, which Ashitaka recognized, despite the damage of years prior. It was the same spot where the Forest Spirit had lived and died, the lake with the revered island in the midst of its waters. This spot had been particularly fervent in regrowth; the stand of trees surrounding the lake dwarfed those in the rest of the forest. The underbrush was thick, and all around Hiasu and his passengers the rustle and movement of forest creatures was evident.

"Look." San pointed to the far side of the lake, and Ashitaka followed her finger to see six deer grazing peacefully. He squinted; the markings on these deer were distinctive, and familiar…

"The Forest Spirit's own does." San murmured, pressing herself back into Ashitaka's embrace. "They've returned, and now all they're waiting for is another buck to claim them. Even though Usi-Kai and Yama-Inu have only seen a few herds returning, I know this means that _all_ of the old animal-life is back. These deer would have been the last to return."

Ashitaka again wrapped her in his arms, feeling choked with emotion. The scars would never really fade, he knew that well, but the healing of the forest, and of his people was well on its way. In that moment, Ashitaka felt invincible. In that moment, nothing could go wrong.

* * *

Whew!

Only about two more chapters to go! This one was extra-long, to celebrate summer. Do enjoy, and please, as always, press the little blue button!

Cheers,  
Pen


	10. Fabled Meeting

**Earth and Stone  
Chapter Ten: Fabled Meeting

* * *

**

Kataki Bou rode at the front of his men, picking his way through the undergrowth of the forest. His face wore an expression of self-satisfaction, and his black eyes were constantly moving, searching the shadows for any sign of his prey. His men rode in single-file behind him, silent except for the creak of leather and the muted stomping of their horses' hooves on the ground. Though they had heard the stories of the haunted forest in which they now rode, they were unafraid. Their master had assured them that the Forest Spirit, the main accursed sprite, had been beheaded long ago and was no longer a threat to any man. They were also mercenaries, accustomed to the sharp tang of danger that they tasted in the air.

Though the mercenaries had exited the city too quickly to reclaim their arms that they had left at the gate to appease the sentries, they remained armed to the teeth with concealed weaponry that hadn't been noticed by the notoriously perceptive guard at the new Iron Town. With daggers hidden in shirtsleeves, and a few fire weapons concealed beneath cloaks, the men were still dangerous in every sense of the word.

For all of their secrecy and efficiency, the men felt the forest recoil from their presence. Kataki noticed that the birds stopped singing as they approached, and more than once he felt the eyes of a hawk on his company. Once he caught one of the great birds taking off abruptly, winging into the air and off toward the west. Though he didn't believe that the forest was a threat, the keen stares of the birds made him slightly anxious, and he drove his horse into a quicker pace.

The heavy silence of the trees around them broke with a long, keening wolf howl. "That's it!" Kataki wheeled his horse around, urging the animal to move toward the sound. "Where we find wolves, we'll find the brats. Remember, men, their deaths mean heavy purses for us!"

His mercenaries grinned fiercely, and Kataki matched their smile. The gold would be welcomed, but the revenge would be much sweeter.

Usi-Kai pierced the air with another of his long howls, and Ashitaka's stallion shied a little, blowing nervously. Even though Hiasu had gotten comfortable around the huge wolves, he knew the sound of a hunting cry from a hungry predator. Ashitaka patted the horse's mane soothingly; the hairs on the back of his own neck prickled at the cry. He had never seen the wolves hunt before, and could only guess at their prowess. As neither of the wolf brothers offered to carry him as they did San, Ashitaka had assumed that hunting with the aid of his horse was permissible.

"Ashitaka, are you ready?" San grinned excitedly at him from her perch on Yama-Inu's back, her spear gripped tightly in one hand.

"Just a moment, I need to string my bow." He turned his concentration to his unstrung bow. Setting the base of the bow haft on one knee, he looped his bowstring around the bottom string nock and bent the supple yew haft to fit the string into place on the top string nock. Once the bow was strung, he tested the weight of the weapon, pulling back on the twisted pig-gut string experimentally. Should the poundage be too light, one of his arrows could merely wound a deer rather than make a clean kill. Not only was Ashitaka loath to make any creature suffer overmuch, he was also nervous about hunting before the great wolves. Even though they had invited him along as a sign of goodwill, he knew they didn't completely approve of his affection toward their human sister. Anything Ashitaka could do to assure them he was worthy of trust and admiration, however grudgingly it was given, he would try.

The villager who had given Ashitaka the bow hadn't made the string short enough to induce the proper poundage, and so he bent the shaft again and looped the bowstring around the top nock again twice. Satisfied, Ashitaka slipped the bow around one shoulder and settled it across his back. "Ready when you are."

San gave him another smile, and then leaned down to whisper into Yama-Inu's ear. The great wolf bunched himself up, and with an almighty leap, propelled himself into the forest. His brother was off and running behind him like a ghostly shadow. Ashitaka spoke a word to Hiasu, and the stallion galloped into place behind San and her brothers.

The forest merged into a brown-green blur as the wolves and Hiasu sped through it. The wolf-brothers were more agile than the bay stallion, more at home twisting and leaping through the lichen-covered remains of the fallen old forest and the young trees and saplings of the new forest. While Hiasu galloped along as best he could, the wolves pounded on ahead; slowly Ashitaka fell back. As the wolves disappeared in the trees, Ashitaka guided Hiasu in a slightly different path that appeared to be some sort of animal trail. It was futile to try and catch up with the demi-gods, so Ashitaka decided against trying. He hoped the wolves would eventually curve to the right so he would meet up with his new direction, but it was also a better chance he would find game on an animal path.

Ashitaka rode for a quarter of an hour at a slightly slower pace, trusting Hiasu to follow the path as he set an arrow to the string. Hiasu slowed of his own accord, keeping to a swift trot that made less noise than his previous gallop.

The forest seemed strangely devoid of animal life the further they went, and Ashitaka soon learned why. The jangle of spurs and bits cut through the natural sounds of a forest, and through a curtain of leaves and ivy Ashitaka saw a trail of evil-looking horsemen approaching. Moving quickly, he slid halfway off of Hiasu's back, keeping one leg over the horse's back and both arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Practically invisible on Hiasu's far side, he murmured to the stallion to move away from the men.

"What's that?" One of the men from the middle of the line spoke in a hushed voice.

"Nothing but a deer." Another muttered back. "Lord Kataki isn't worried about it, and neither should you be."

"It's too big for a deer." The first insisted.

"Not too much bigger-"

"Stay silent back there! Keep talking and the wolves are bound to hear you! Then they'll bring the brats warning of our presence. Remember, one of them thinks she's a wolf herself." The man at the front of the line had stopped to face the two, who were looking slightly anxious at the mention of wolves. They both bowed their heads in deference, keeping silent.

Once the company had passed out of sight, Ashitaka moved to sit on Hiasu's back again. The wolves, they said... and the brats. They were searching for San… and himself? Who where these men?

A thrush alighted on a low-hanging tree branch a few feet away from him, looking keenly in the direction the men had taken into the forest. Remembering that the forest still held some mystical potency in its creatures that allowed them to communicate with humans, Ashitaka leaned toward it. "Friend, if you can find San and her brothers, warn them of this danger!"

The thrush jumped at Ashitaka's voice, fluttering a few branches higher in alarm. Then hearing his message, it cocked its head for a moment, considering him with bright black eyes before taking off abruptly into the canopy.

Ashitaka nudged Hiasu with his heels, and followed the men's path. It wasn't hard to do; in their careless passage, their animals had broken twigs and ferns that formed an easy trail. Here and there the shod hoof of one of the horses had left a deep imprint in the uncovered loam. Ashitaka frowned; none of the Iron Town horses were shod with the shoes that had left the prints. The heel of the shoe made tiny imprints, as if small cleats had been built into the iron. Horses from the city didn't need the extra grip, being animals that didn't range much difficult terrain. It confirmed his guess; these men weren't from Iron Town or any of the surrounding villages or cities. Only horses expected to travel across mountains would be shod in such a manner.

But it didn't explain why the men were here, searching for them.

After a few more minutes of travel, a terrified scream caused the birds resting in the tree tops to fly up in alarm. It was a horrible wail from one of the horses in the party Ashitaka was following. The men began to shout, and then the tell-tale explosion from a firearm rent the air with a definite finality. Hiasu shied a little, quieting under Ashitaka's hand. He urged the stallion forward, putting an arrow back to the string as he did. The men came quickly into sight; they were still shouting amongst themselves.

"Dear gods, what the hell was that thing?"

The cold, calculating voice that answered was unaffected. "Most likely a demon. The scourge of the Forest Spirit didn't manage to kill off the trees, so it probably didn't manage to get rid of all of the abominations either. It's run off now, so we should continue on our way and hope the noise didn't alert the wolf girl or Ashitaka at all."

"And what about us? Do we walk and follow you, or turn and head back toward the outskirts of the forest?"

Ashitaka had gotten close enough to see the line of men. He slid off of Hiasu, pushing gently on the horse's hip to send him off in the opposite direction. Crouching down in the foliage, he peered out at the scene. One horse lay terribly mangled, obviously dead, and a second stood trembling with a large wound on its shoulder. The man with the cold voice spoke again, and Ashitaka assumed he was the leader.

"Ride double behind Takka and Shinzu for the time being. Once we set our trap, there will be no need for us all to ride."

The two unhorsed men complied, and the company rode off into the wood. The injured horse gave a distressed whinny as its companions trotted away, and Ashitaka moved quickly to its side. The wound was only superficial, but the smell that emanated from it suggested that the demon's claws had inflicted within the wound a corrosive poison. The horse shivered violently at his touch, the whites of its eyes showing.

"This is some kind of sickness I do not have the arts to heal. I apologize, my friend." Ashitaka took out his dagger and mercifully slit the distressed animal's throat. What sort of demon left such wounds? The only demons Ashitaka had ever dealt with left the angry purple scars that still wound like a shadow around his arm. There wasn't time to continue wondering about the nature of the demons, however, so Ashitaka moved away from the dead horses and whistled to Hiasu.

"San, something is not right." Usi-Kai slowed abruptly, settling onto his haunches as he regarded his brother and human sister.

"I heard it too," Yama-Inu growled, turning his head toward his rider. "There was a horse being attacked, and humans shouting." The dark eyes turned even blacker. "And the sound of that fire stick that killed our mother."

San hadn't been able to discern any of this with her human hearing, and immediately she looked around to see where Ashitaka was. "Where is Ashitaka?"

"He fell behind," Yama-Inu said, a hint of smug satisfaction in his voice. "The horse couldn't keep up."

"The sounds of a horse being attacked, you said?" San fired up immediately. "What if it was Ashitaka and Hiasu being attacked? Turn around, let's go!"

The wolf brothers rose, Yama-Inu looking slightly abashed as he ran.

Hiasu galloped along the path the company had created, Ashitaka ready with his bow. Whoever the men were, and whatever they wanted, Ashitaka would not allow them to harm San, her brothers, or himself. How he would stop them, being outnumbered ten to one, he wasn't sure, but he knew he would have to try.

Hiasu turned a corner, and then reared at the sudden appearance of the riders. All ten men were facing Ashitaka, cutting off his path, with firearms pointed at him menacingly. One man, the young leader with the cold voice, was smiling grimly.

"I thought that was you, Ashitaka, when we passed trails earlier today. Where are your wolf friends? Get bored of them? After the Forest Spirit, I guess dealing with demi-gods would be dull."

"Who are you?" Ashitaka aimed his bow directly at the man's heart, ignoring the musket muzzles pointed at him. "What do you want with me and my friends?"

"Revenge." The man's smile grew wider and more horrible. "Revenge for the life I could have had, the life you thwarted. Revenge for my father's disgrace. Revenge on you and the wolf girl for stealing away most of my life by stealing away the Forest Spirit's head."

"We saved the forest and the town by returning what was rightfully the Forest Spirit's, and the destruction was started by other men who were blinded by greed." Ashitaka kept his aim steady. "Your quarrels are not with us. We have robbed no one of anything."

"So it has been parroted to me by your pitiful Lady Eboshi." The man sneered. "I fail to believe her. I was told that you and my father had forged a temporary friendship, all those years ago. Too bad he put his faith in you; you remember old Bou, don't you?"

"You are his son?" Now that he thought about it, Ashitaka saw the same wide eyes, the same stretched mouth that the father had passed to the son. He still didn't understand why this young man was so eager for blood.

"Yes, I am Kataki Bou." The grin was back, more demented than before. "And I am finally going to exact my revenge."

He raised his own musket, and pulled the trigger.

**End Chapter

* * *

**

I know I'm a horrible person for not updating in so long, and then ending on a cliffhanger, so I apologize for both. Hope you enjoyed it- updates will not take this long, I promise, and there are only one or two chapters left in this story.

Thanks to everyone who kept reviewing- it really got my butt into gear.

Cheers,  
Pen


	11. Fate Cries Out

**Earth and Stone**

**Chapter Eleven: Fate Cries Out**

**

* * *

  
**_**  
"**__My fate cries out,  
__And makes each petty artery in this body  
__As hardy as the Nemean lion's nerve."  
-Shakespeare's Hamlet_

In an instant, the firearm belched black smoke and livid orange flame. The blast resonated through the relative stillness of the forest, the noise bouncing off of the trees, until it was magnified to a horrific roar.

Ashitaka wrenched his body around, hoping to catch the bullet in a non-fatal place, but Hiasu was faster. The stallion reared violently, trumpeting loudly as he did so. Ashitaka was thrown off as he attempted to twist away from the deadly projectile and he hit the ground hard, a sharp knife of pain ripping through his back from the still-healing wound. He cried out, but was drowned out by the human-like scream of pain from his loyal stallion. Ashitaka rolled to the side as the horse tipped backward, the bullet meant for his master buried deep in his stomach.

"NO!" Ashitaka barely had time to take in the horror before a second burst of gunfire broke the air. Simultaneously throwing himself sideways and grabbing his bow, he sent a shaft whistling through the air toward the man who was aiming a loaded rifle at him. The arrow sang through the air and connected with a sickening thud. The gunman, dressed as a monk, screamed in pain as the shaft buried itself in his left shoulder before slipping sideways off of his horse.

"Finally, the true colors of noble Ashitaka!" Kataki snarled, a mirthless, mocking smile on his face. His men kept up a steady stream of fire, necessitating Ashitaka to dive behind a boulder for cover.

While they stopped to reload, Kataki continued his jeering. "'To see with eyes unclouded by hate,' right? Isn't that what you preached when my father was holding his fortune in his hands?"

Ashitaka didn't reply.

"Those are mighty words indeed, but I see now you have no remorse in breaking this peaceful vow!"

Ashitaka didn't move, breathing erratically from his position behind the boulder. The gunfire had stopped, he presumed as the men started to reload. There was no way he could escape Kataki and five others, especially with Hiasu dead. He doubted the man would listen to reason, but he couldn't see any other options.

"Your father did not see what he was doing! He would have perished, along with thousands of innocents had he not come to reason!" Ashitaka shouted. "In the end he saw his folly, and his choice was to live— you and I have no quarrel!"

"I shall decide that." A bullet smashed into the rock, sending splinters of granite cascading onto Ashitaka's head. Grimly, he retrieved an arrow from his quiver and knocked it to the string. He could only hope that the wolves heard the fighting and kept San far away from the hunters. He tensed, ready to dodge gunfire as he prepared to shoot.

"Dear Gods, it's that demon again!"

The shooting began again, but it was no longer directed at him. The sounds of terrified horses and the vicious snarling of some beast filled the small clearing and Ashitaka chanced a glance over the top of the chipped granite rock.

A jackal was lunging at the horses and men. How it had the energy to do so Ashitaka had no idea, for the beast was skin and bone, its matted coat clinging to each protruding rib. Blood, some of its own and some of its victims, covered its muzzle and forehead. Open sores festered on its legs, the pads on its feet torn to shreds by continual movement. The stench of it threw the horses into a nervous frenzy, bucking and shying beneath their riders. Deep within the eye sockets, the beast's filmy glare burned as if lit from within by hellfire.

It had already taken down one of the horses. The animal lay gasping in a pool of its own rapidly gathering blood, the throat torn out by the jackal's vice-like jaws. The horse had been carrying tow riders, the ones unhorsed from the jackal's first attack. One of the men was screaming, his thigh indistinguishable in a mass of flesh and blood, ripped to bloody tatters. The second man had scrambled away, hastily packing powder into his weapon.

A bullet shattered more of the boulder, striking inches away from Ashitaka's face. Kataki Bou hadn't forgotten him. Ashitaka aimed quickly and fired; Kataki's horse shied away as the arrow sliced the saddle girth and scratched the horse's side. Kataki fell with a curse as the gray charged off into the thick woods.

Another roar from a gun snapped Ashitaka's attention back to the jackal. The man who had been injured was dead, and two more horses were gone, one dead from the jackal's jaws and the other had fled in terror, bearing its helpless rider along with it.

The jackal had the same crazed look as the animal who attacked Ashitaka before and it didn't seem to notice the bullet wound on its shoulder and on its back; its burning eyes were focused on one of the terrified, unhorsed men.

Ashitaka stood and put another arrow to the string. He wasn't sure if he should run now and risk the jackal following him, or stay and kill it, but still have the danger of Kataki's homicidal intentions. He could see the man kneeling behind a tree, methodically preparing his weapon. The hawk-like eyes betrayed no terror or sorrow as the jackal bore down on one of his men, whose screaming was cut short to fade with a gurgle as the wicked yellowed teeth went about their awful work. Ashitaka hesitated a moment longer before turning on his heel and dashing off into the undergrowth.

The noise seemed to follow him as he ran, and it hurt to draw in breath. His lungs protested every step, and the wound on his back throbbed. Ashitaka grimly ran on, taking only enough care as to not leave a blatant trail. Another popping round of gunfire went off behind him, and the jackal's snarls followed, along with another terrified whinny.

_Three men down, only Kataki and two left,_ Ashitaka turned abruptly to his left and started back north toward Iron Town, though the city was at least day and a half walk away. The terrain started to slope downhill, and underneath the noise of the battle, he could hear the faint rush of water. _The river,_ Ashitaka breathed a sigh of relief. He could follow it back toward the wolves' den, without leaving tracks for the murderous Kataki to find.

* * *

Kataki Bou was furious.

Ashitaka had gotten away.

He turned the body of the jackal over with one booted foot, surveying the thing with distaste. The final bullet he had delivered had mangled the creature's neck, almost severing the head from the body, but it was still distinguishable as to what it was.

Hatara and Gira were the only two of his men that remained— the rest were dead or lost in the forest. Hatara was bandaging the wound Gira had sustained on his forearm from the jackal, but looked up at Kataki spat on the creature's corpse.

"I've never seen a demon close up afore, an' I don't think I wants to again." Hatara regarded the body with a look that was half-reverence, half-revulsion.

"Now that I've seen it and killed it, I don't think it's a demon." Kataki turned away from the body and went over to where his saddle lay with its severed girth. "What my father described to me were beasts twice as large as normal, with otherworldly attributes and ferocity. This creature, though clearly ferocious, isn't large or strong enough. I remember seeing a dog in my village act something like this, after it was bitten by a fox. Foam at the mouth, viciousness, just like this. The jackal probably had a disease."

He motioned for Hatara to come over beside him. Once he had, Kataki spoke in an undertone that Gira couldn't overhear. "If he was bitten by this creature, it's safe to say he'll be dead within the week."

Hatara paled. "But it's barely even a scratch."

"It'd be enough. Enough to get into his body, and eat him from the inside."

Hatara shuddered, unconsciously rubbing his hands together as if to wipe away a contamination. "Do we leave him here, then?"

Kataki said nothing, but took a sheathed knife out from his saddlebag. He weighed it in his hands for a moment before passing it over to Hatara. "We're leaving shortly. I don't want that brat Ashitaka to get too much of a head start."

* * *

Ashitaka waded along the bank of the river with his sword belt slung around his shoulder with his quiver, and his bow looped around his neck to stay dry. He wasn't able to move as quickly, but the rushing water erased all signs of his passage. Every now and then he would spring up onto rocks that pushed up past the surface of the river, using the stepping stones for speed.

Over the rush of water he heard a distressed whinny, a sound that made his heart twist with grief over Hiasu and his stomach clench with nerves. He dropped quickly, squatting in the river holding his weapons above water, eyes searching the bank for Kataki and his men. Instead, he saw Kataki's gray horse at the edge of the river tossing its head nervously, the reins of its bride tangled hopelessly in the underbrush.

Ashitaka relaxed. He stood and waded over to the injured animal's side, putting a comforting hand on its neck. It was a mare, and a beautifully bred one at that, with fine lines and a well-muscled body. She arched her neck under his hand, swinging her head toward him as far as the tangled reins would allow, nosing at his arm beseechingly.

"I know, lady, I know," he murmured, running a hand along her side. The arrow had barely scratched her and a scab was already forming where the stone-tipped arrowhead had grazed her. "You'll be fine."

He yanked the reins free from the bush, and looped them over her neck again. "If you'll allow me, lady…" Ashitaka rubbed a hand down the mare's nose, then stooped and blew into her nostrils in a horse-greeting. The mare flipped her lip up for a moment, capturing his smell, and then returned the greeting with a puff of air. Ashitaka smiled, rubbed her forehead again, and then swung onto the mare's back.

The mare took off at a trot at Ashitaka's urging, navigating her way between the trees. Ashitaka reached down and patted her neck gratefully. The mare carried him along the riverbank at twice the speed he had been traveling, putting more distance between himself and his hunter.

* * *

"San, there's nothing alive here." Usi-Kai padded around the site of battle in disgust, looking at the bloodied remains of man and beast. "I do not smell your human, though."

San slid wordlessly off of Yama-Inu's back, and knelt by the body of a familiar-looking bay stallion. Hiasu lay were he fell, blood leaking out of the gunshot wound in his belly. San let her hand slide gently along his exposed throat, fingers caressing the soft coat for a few moments of silent grief. Biting her lip, San stood up and looked at her two brothers hard. "Are you _sure_ Ashitaka is not here?"

"I know the smell of the human's blood. Our den reeked of little else for days after you brought him there. He is not among the dead here." Usi-Kai growled, glaring over at the corpse of one of Kataki's men. "These humans are not from the town in the north. Why are they here?"

"We'll find out." San looked down at Hiasu again before swinging up on Yama-Inu's back once again. "Find Ashitaka's scent. Follow it. I have a feeling when we find him, we'll find these humans."

"They went north of here." Yama-Inu sniffed a chipped and battered granite boulder. "Maybe three- I can only smell two horses, though."

The wolves took off down the path made easily visible by the passage of Kataki and his lone soldier. Twigs were bent and the deep forest loam had been disturbed; no animal, save a mounted horse, would make such a mess while traveling.

The wolves ran for an hour, steadily, and the sun dipped down below the mountains to the west. The sky was shot with reddish-orange streaks, sending the tree tops into stark, black relief. They followed the river for a few miles, noting where Ashitaka's unobtrusive path met with a horse's shod hooves, and it was San's sharp eyes that saw the scrap of cloth clinging to a tree branch. Suddenly, both wolves slowed, their hackles rising almost simultaneously. San ducked low on Yama-Inu's neck, peering through the foliage to where the outlines of a pair of horses and riders were visible through the underbrush.

Even with her weak human nose, San could smell the stench of blood coming off of the two men. The first was hunched and evil-looking, dressed in dull red robes. He was corded with muscle, but his pate was hairless and grubby-looking. The second made her recall a hawk; straight-backed and stiff, riding a dark bay horse as quickly as the terrain would allow. Both of the horses were lathered with sweat, and the bald man's mount was breathing laboriously as it trotted after the bay.

Before the wolves or San could think to attack the two men, an arrow zipped through the air to bury itself deep within the bald man's right arm. He fell backward off of his horse with a cry, clutching at the wound. His chestnut gelding shied around at the motion, and its nostrils flared as it caught the scent of the two demi-god wolves less than a hundred feet behind them. It turned tail, sharp hooves landing squarely on the fallen rider, silencing his painful sobs as it galloped into the woods.

Ashitaka rode forward, the gray mare dancing sideways underneath him, clearly terrified of the two wolves. Only Ashitaka's skillful horsemanship kept her from running after the chestnut. Ashitaka slipped another arrow from his quiver, setting it to string while staring Kataki Bou down. The other man was fighting to keep his bay under control, let alone gather his firearm and load it.

"Leave us alone," Ashitaka said harshly, exhaustion and anger written plainly on his face. "Or I will kill you. I do not want to hurt anyone else this day, no matter how you deserve this arrow in your heart. Leave this forest and never return."

Kataki sneered at him, and without warning, he pulled a small, compact version of the regular firearm out from one sleeve. Swinging the weapon around, he pointed at San and fired.

Usi-Kai and Yama-Inu were much faster than Hiasu, and both jumped sideways, Yama-Inu bearing San to safety on his back. The wolves began to snarl and bark, circling back around to attack Kataki. The man spurred his bay into action, taking off through the woods, Ashitaka, San and the wolves hot at his heels. Ashitaka's first arrow was deflected by a sturdy tree trunk, and the bay, driven by terror, outraced the two wolf gods.

San heaved her spear with a yell; Kataki ducked at the noise and the spearhead missed his shoulder by mere inches. The bay horse kept galloping, following an animal trail that lead away from the river, and after a few moments' more of chase, the wolves began to pull back.

"Ashitaka!" San called, and suddenly he understood. He checked the mare's speed, and the gray nearly sat on her haunches as a break in the tree line revealed the high edge of a sheer drop two hundred feet down the mountain. Kataki's mount was not so prompt, and together, horse and rider thundered off of the edge.

There was a moment of silence that seemed to stretch the length of a day, and then the bay let out a terrified bugle that was cut short by a horrifying crash. The sound of bones snapping cut through the air, and gingerly, Ashitaka leaned over the edge. He pulled back, half disgusted, half relieved. He slipped off of the gray, who stood next to him obediently, trembling a little with fatigue. San appeared at his side, and melted into his open arms.

"It's over." He mumbled into her short-cropped hair, feeling his limbs start to shake from exhaustion. "Over."

* * *

**End Chapter**

First of all, I AM SO SORRY. I never meant to leave this story alone for so long. Life gets in the way, right?

Second, only one chapter left. Hooray for happy (albeit a wee bit bloody) endings!

Thirdly, reviews are good. Good reviews, bad ones, indifferent ones. Let me know you exist!

Fourthly, it's time for bed.

Cheers,  
Pen


	12. A New Dawn

**Earth and Stone**

**Chapter Twelve: A New Dawn**

* * *

The wolf brothers had descended the slope to investigate the remains, and San had pulled herself onto the gray mare behind Ashitaka, physically drained from the chase. Ashitaka's shoulders sagged from exhaustion, and as the mare started to walk, he swayed a little before steadying himself. His back ached, and his bow arm felt cramped and tired. The mare, though a smooth-gaited animal, seemed to jar his bones with every step.

Ashitaka felt weary, and old. Ever since he had first heard the men speak, he knew he was delaying the inevitable. He had to return to Iron Town, to make sure Lady Eboshi was alive and able to manage the people. Had Kataki Bou harmed her in his pursuit of information on their whereabouts, Ashitaka knew he had to rule in her stead. He had already been doing much of the tasks assigned to the head of the town before he left; his responsibilities nagged at his conscience.

_But how to tell San? How will I ever find the strength to leave her… again?_ He sighed. "Shall I bring you back to the cave?"

San instantly was alert, jerking from the doze she had slipped into. "Why are we not both going to the cave? Where are you going?"

Ashitaka gave a sad, grim smile. "I need to return to Iron Town."

They rode on in silence, knowing that each step the mare took drew them closer to a possibly damning discussion. The wolves hadn't returned, and the forest was quiet around them. The light of the setting sun filtered through the green canopy, sending dark shadows behind the tree trunks and amid the loam of the forest floor.

The mare stopped at Ashitaka's gentle command in a clearing. If they continued west, they would arrive at the wolves' cave. And to the southeast lay Iron Town, its massive sprawling metropolis so isolated in the midst of nature. San rested her forehead on Ashitaka's shoulder, and he slipped one hand back to grasp hers. They stayed like that for a moment, and then the mare started, and turned southeast.

Ashitaka half-twisted to look incredulously at San. It had been her slight kick that had turned the mare toward Iron Town. She met his gaze with a smile.

"If that's where you need to be… then that's where we'll go."

"But…"

"Don't talk. The original thing that kept me from you was this forest, putting it back together, piece by piece. You were there when that final piece returned, when the Forest Spirit's own does appeared. I could do more, but this forest doesn't need me like it did seven years ago."

Ashitaka searched San's face, trusting the mare to navigate their way through the trees at her own delicate pace. "Can you be happy?"

"You won't lock me away from the forest, will you?" San countered, raising an eyebrow as if to dare him to say otherwise.

"Of course not." Ashitaka didn't know why he was looking for some sort of catch. San was saying she would live with him in Iron Town! It seemed much too good to be true. "But… why?"

San gave him a look. "Do you need to ask? I feel that if you do, maybe I shouldn't go with you." Abruptly she slid off the back of the mare and began to walk away, back west. Ashitaka seized the mare's rein and wheeled her around, urging her into a sudden burst of speed. When they were level with San, the gray mare obediently stopped as Ashitaka dismounted swiftly.

"You're not going to walk away from me twice, San." As he spoke, Ashitaka spun her and then he put his mouth on hers. She had gasped as he had pulled her around, and he took advantage of her parted lips to slip his tongue inside. San started at the intrusion, and then relaxed to return the action.

It was only for lack of air that they pulled apart, breathing heavily on to each other's mouths, staring at each other. Ashitaka's heart beat wildly against his ribcage as it had when he had faced Kataki Bou, but now the sensation that caused it was far from fear as it had been then. He wanted to voice the feeling so than San wouldn't misunderstand. "I'm in love with you, San."

She gazed at him, a blush staining both cheeks from the kiss.

"I give you my heart, San. It has been yours since I first saw you by the river, all those years ago when I was little more than a child who knew nothing of love. Go with me if it will make you happy. Whatever your actions, as long as you are at peace, so will I be."

San hesitated, and then placed one of her hands over her heart. "Love? That's the name for a feeling that makes you feel weak and strong all at once?"

Ashitaka nodded, smiling. "Wonderfully enslaved and totally free. I believe that to be love, yes."

"Then," San whispered as she leaned in for another kiss, "I must be in love with you, too."

* * *

The night guard jumped out of his torpor at an animalistic howl echoing out of the fringes of the forest, the forest that always seemed more oppressive during the night. He pushed his fellow guard into wakefulness.

"Did you hear that? It sounded like a wolf."

"Don't be a superstitious old woman, Hanso." The sleepy guard yawned. "It's your watch until dawn, so let me sleep. I don't wake you on my watch."

Just as the man finished speaking, two answering howls burst through the still night air. These two were much more distant, probably only audible due to the wind that carried the sound towards the walled city.

"Alright, Hanso, I heard that 'un." The guard said nervously. "Bring us a torch, will ya?"

"Don't be daft." Hanso said crossly, now scanning the land in front of them. "Bright lights here will only make it blacker out there."

"Look!" The other guard said presently, pointing to a slow-moving dark spot on the main road.

"That ain't no wolf," Hanso muttered. "Looks like a rider."

"Is her Ladyship expecting anyone?" The other guard ducked below the wall for a moment, pulling out a piece of paper and squinting at it in the dull light from the city's glow.

"Not that I was told. Must be another traveler. Don't know if I'm going to let him in, after the last group of innocent travelers we had turned out to be mercenaries."

Hanso motioned back to a small crate sitting alongside the inside stone of the wall walk. "Best get yourself a rifle, Kiba. If it's any of those scum, I don't think we'll chance more mischief."

Kiba nodded, putting the paper back where he found it and going to the crate to select a rifle. Before he could prepare the weapon for use, however, Hanso gave a great shout of laughter, full of relief.

"It's Lord Ashitaka!"

Lady Eboshi wasn't in her bed. In fact, she wasn't even in her home. Ashitaka and San were brought instead to the newly constructed town hall, where the lady sat, reviewing documents and trade agreements. She looked up as they entered, and her mouth fell open at the sight of San. Ashitaka looked at her from the corner of his eye; standing in front of an old enemy, San looked remarkably composed.

_She has grown from the girl I once loved into the woman I love now._

"Lord Ashitaka…. Mononoke-hime." Lady Eboshi rose from her chair, and stepped around the desk to clasp Ashitaka's outstretched hand.

"My Lady, you appear to be in excellent health." Ashitaka said, San silent at his side.

"I am. The only sickness I had before was inspired by the bed I was confined to. No fault of my able medics, but a miscalculation of my own." She cleared her throat, looking directly at San. "Yet another of my many miscalculations stands here before me. Daughter of she who took my arm, Mononoke-hime, I have yet to apologize to you for the grief I have no doubt caused you."

San spoke, her voice not unfriendly. "You have not suffered as much as you should have for all that you did to the forest. But I believe you were ignorant then in a way you no longer are, and, if given the chance, would you do the same that you did then?"

"Age brings wisdom, and I am no exception. My deeds are not a cause of pride but a source of rancorousness. I would not have killed the Spirit, and would revive it if I only knew how." Lady Eboshi said steadily, still staring into San's eyes. "I do not deserve your forgiveness, nor do I ask for it."

"Your apology is enough for me. Ashitaka has told me about your goodness." San said simply.

Eboshi extended her good hand to her once-rival, and slowly, imitating Ashitaka's previous handshake, San grasped it gently.

"You are most welcome here, Mononoke-hime."

"Thank you."

* * *

_One Week Later_

"Where are we going, Kouroku?" Ashitaka asked again. He and San were riding double on the mare they had named Konsetsu and they were following Kouroku away from the city. Lady Eboshi rode with them, Yakul pulling the light cart, keeping up easily with the horses. Many of the citizens were following them, talking excitedly and laughing among themselves, some of the children running in front of the horses along a well-worn path that Ashitaka didn't recognize. "This road was not here before I left."

"You'll see," Kouroku said mysteriously, grinning widely. Toki had had the same smile on her face when she had waved them off in front of her and Kouroku's house, holding their new daughter Suki.

They followed the road some distance away from the main gate of the town, along the crops that ran up to the water's edge. Presently, Ashitaka spotted a building that had to have been erected since he left. He didn't remember any plans for structures outside of the city, and this looked too small to be a city building. It looked more like a house, matching the design of many of the homes in the residential district. It was only a few yards from the first trees of the forest, and a large paddock was constructed on the far side of it. Beyond the building, Ashitaka could see a small lean-to, much like one that was used for the oxen stables by the first of the crops.

"What is this, Kouroku?"

"This, my Lord, is your home." Kouroku beamed. "Lady Eboshi, along with the rest of us, was concerned for you, and all the work you do. This is our town's way of saying thank you. We were almost done when you arrived back."

"You've done so much for your people, Ashitaka. You deserve this, and we won't take no for an answer." Lady Eboshi said, a smile playing on her lips.

Ashitaka was at a loss for words. He looked around at everyone gathered, feeling the burn for grateful tears in the corners of his eyes, and smiled.

"Thank you… This is…" He stopped, overwhelmed. The crowd took up a cheer, and with a motion from Lady Eboshi, they began to disperse, calling out goodbyes to San and Ashitaka as they went. The lady nodded to the couple as well before directing Yakul back toward the city.

"Well, go in and get comfortable," Kouroku grinned at them. "Toki is still expecting you two for dinner to celebrate Suki tonight, right?"

"We'll be there," Ashitaka promised, and then the man turned his horse to follow the crowd back to the gate. Ashitaka urged Konsetsu forward toward their new home.

"They built it right by the forest," San's smile was evident in her happy voice. "It's so perfect."

"I couldn't agree more." Ashitaka looked the idyllic building over, still stunned over the grand gesture from the townspeople. "We won't even need to leave our yard to see your brothers."

Konsetsu picked up into a canter, urged by the elation she felt from her new masters. San, though perfectly able to balance without holding on to Ashitaka, slipped her arms around his waist and gave him a small squeeze. Ashitaka felt a seven-year old weight lift from his shoulders- he was alone no more.

**The End**

* * *

Well, readers, here it is. The end of Earth and Stone. I've been honored by your kind comments and by your dedication to this story, despite the huge gaps between most chapters. I will miss writing this, but I'm still glad we've reached a happy ending.

Cheers,  
Pen


End file.
